Alfred S. Hart (a.k.a. Al Hart or Alfred Harskovitz) (1904–1979) was a Hungarian-born American businessman and banker. He was a wholesaler of beer in Chicago during Prohibition and later a distributor of wine and spirits in Los Angeles, California. He served as a director of Columbia Pictures. In 1954, he founded City National Bank in Beverly Hills.
Alfred S. Hart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alfred Harskovitz 1904 |
| Died | 1979 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, banker |
Early life
editAlfred Harskovitz was born in a Jewish family in Hungary in 1904.[1] He immigrated to the United States, settling in Chicago.[1]
Career
editHe started his career working for Al Capone as a wholesaler of beer during Prohibition, when it was an illegal substance.[1] He then worked for Charles Gioe and Joseph Fusco as the manager of Gold Seal Liquors.[1]
He moved to California in the 1920s and quickly established Glencoe Distilleries and the Pacific Brewing Company.[1] A decade later, in the 1930s, he was the owner of Central Liquor Distributors, the San Angelo Wine and Spirit Corporation, and Alfred Hart Distilleries.[1] He later became the majority owner of the Maier Brewing Company.[1]
He was the owner of the Del Mar racetrack in San Diego.[1] In 1948, he invested US$75,000 in the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] Additionally, he was a real estate investor in San Bernardino.[1]
He served on the board of directors of Columbia Pictures.[1][2][3] In 1954, he founded City National Bank in Beverly Hills.[2][3] He hired Benjamin N. Maltz as the first chairman of the board.[2]
Death
editHart died in 1979.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gus Russo, Supermob: How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America's Hidden Power Brokers, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2008, pp. 37-38 [1]
- ^ a b c d John M. Broder, Bram Goldsmith: Maverick Banker to Stars : City National Chief Is a Top Deal-Maker and Industry's Best Paid, The Los Angeles Times, July 21, 1985
- ^ a b Kathryn Tully, Making New York an offer it can't refuse, The Financial Times, August 4, 2006