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Researching Werber Leather Coat Co

bjoy

New Member
Max Werber (1885-1955) was born in Poland, the oldest son of a furrier. His children with wife Rebecca were Alice (1907-1988), Sadie (1909-?), Jacob (1913-?), Herman, and Phillip (1923-1978). Jacob used the nickname Jack.

There are references to the company being named "Itkin-Werber Leather Coat Co" in the New York City area circa 1920.

In a 1929 interview, Max Werber then based in Beacon, stated his desire to move back to Poughkeepsie since there was a shortage of skilled labor in Beacon. He said Werber Leather Coat Company "employs only skilled persons who earn from $35 to $75 a week", "about 30 percent of the employees are women", and his "business amounts to three-quarters of a million dollars a year".

In 1931, it was announced that the "Strong-Best Manufacturing Co" (makers of various types of trousers) having 80 new sewing machines and employing 100 would share space on the Werber factory floor in Beacon at 670 Main St. The exact relationship was not announced just that the two companies were "connected".

On Monday May 7, 1934, at 9:30 PM, an arson was discovered at the factory (a one-story brick building located on 573 Main st, Beacon, NY). The building was locked tight and "firemen refused to enter the building until the owners arrived because at a previous fire the firemen were accused of stealing coats". Damage was primarily from smoke and water delivered by the sprinkler system despite the use of gasoline-soaked rags and bundles of matches in several places within the stock room.

The insurance companies involved refused to pay damages, so Werber Leather Coat Co sued them for $20,000 and did eventually receive a lesser amount. As far as I can tell, this case involved whether or not an insurance company could stipulate that discovery of an inflated statement of damages would allow them not to pay any part of the claim.

Daughter Alice Werber married Martin Langer (1905-1992), owner of Phillip's Tanning and Clothing Co, and had two children Susan and Sheila.

In 1938, Werber Leather Coat Co sued the brother of Louis Kramer (vice president and secretary of the company) who was alleged to have altered "an invoice of goods shipped to Phillips Tanning and Clothing Company owned by one Martin Langer soninlaw of plaintiff".

Only one member of Max Werber's immediate family in Poland survived the holocaust. A much younger brother Jacob (1914-2006) entered the USA and started his own business in 1946. He eventually prospered by "manufacturing coonskin caps during the Davy Crockett craze of the mid-1950’s" and investing profits in real estate.

Max Werber's gross estate after death at the time the will was read in 1956 was $92,584.
 

deeb7

Gone, but not forgotten.
Thanks for posting, these company histories are great ... really interesting. :cool:
 

Dr H

Well-Known Member
Absolutely great reading, do you have anything on Perry Sportswear of Newburgh?
 

bjoy

New Member

bjoy

New Member
bjoy said:
Daughter Alice Werber married Martin Langer (1905-1992), owner of Phillip's Tanning and Clothing Co

Just found an article which mentions that Martin Langer in 1946 was owner of L.S.L. Garment Co and also Air-Wear Clothing Co (and both in the same building in Newburgh as Perry Sportswear).

Incidentally, Perry Sportswear went through "voluntary dissolution" in 1946. Facilities were so hard to find that another company bought their building and would not renew their lease in order to expand into it. Perry's equipment was moved to the two other factories in Boston and Bangor that Royal Coat Co owned.
 

deeb7

Gone, but not forgotten.
Further connections, so that's interesting ... Langer had the 1938 B-3 contract as Phillips Tanning, and then made the B-10, and B-15 as L.S.L. Garment Co.
 

bjoy

New Member
deeb7 said:
Further connections, so that's interesting ... Langer had the 1938 B-3 contract as Phillips Tanning, and then made the B-10, and B-15 as L.S.L. Garment Co.

This guy gets around. Looks like maybe Martin Langer was "Secretary and General Manager" for a while at at Perry Sportswear in 1942:

"PERRY SPORTSWEAR, INC., 54 Liberty St., Newburgh, NY Personnel: I. Freedman, Pres.;
M. Langer, Secy. & Gen. Mgr.; L. Herbert, Treas.; S. Freedman, Sales Mgr. Products:
Flying clothing"

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ae...sult&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAw
 

bjoy

New Member
bjoy said:
The insurance companies involved refused to pay damages, so Werber Leather Coat Co sued them for $20,000 and did eventually receive a lesser amount.

In 1938, Werber Leather Coat Co sued the brother of Louis Kramer (vice president and secretary of the company) who was alleged to have altered "an invoice of goods shipped to Phillips Tanning and Clothing Company owned by one Martin Langer soninlaw of plaintiff".

After some further research, I have some corrections and additions to make.

Louis Kramer was not only an officer of Werber Leather Coat Co, he was also a partner/co-owner with Max Werber.

While Werber did win the 1934 lawsuit with the insurance companies in 1937, this result was reversed in 1938 on appeal.

Regarding the 1938 lawsuit regarding Louis Kramer's brother, actually this was part of the major litigation started in 1934. The claim that a brother of Louis Kramer created fake invoices for goods not shipped to Phillips Tanning and Clothing Company was alleged by the insurance companies (not by Werber).

Louis Kramer was listed as being 20 in the 1910 census, and 26 in the 1920 census.

The Kramer family immigrated to New York in 1904. His parents were Herman and Amelia (1862-1936). Louis had siblings Samuel, Dora, Rose, Minnie, and Wilfred.

One of his sisters married Charles Liebmann resulting in children Samuel H, John E, and Rose. John E. Liebmann and Louis Kramer would eventually be partners (along with others) in the Aero Leather Clothing Co.
 
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