Immigrant Eli Blumenfeld arrived in America penniless, built a fortune in fabric and became a leading philanthropist.
By MARTY CLEAR
Published August 1, 2003
BAYSHORE GARDENS - Eli Blumenfeld was born in Germany but ended up living the American dream.
After an early life marked by poverty and prejudice, Mr. Blumenfeld worked hard, grabbed opportunities when they presented themselves and rose to financial prominence.
"Basically, he built a fortune for himself out of nothing," said Barry Silberzweig, the husband of Mr. Blumenfeld's niece.
Mr. Blumenfeld became one of Tampa's leading businessmen and philanthropists. He founded Fabric King, which grew from a single store in downtown Tampa to a statewide chain with 50 locations.
He died July 20 at age 81.
Mr. Blumenfeld was born in Dortmund, Germany, in 1922. When he was in his early teens, his family fled to Holland to escape the Nazis. Holland eventually became unsafe for Jews, and he came to America.
"My father sent him, alone on the boat, at the age of 16," said his sister, Gerry Rosen. "He stayed with some poor relatives in Hoboken, New Jersey. My father and I came later in the same boat."
When he arrived in New York, Mr. Blumenfeld was essentially penniless and the country was still in the midst of the Great Depression.
Though a gifted student in Germany, he had to abandon school and start earning a living. He found work as a shipping clerk in New York City's garment district. After his family joined him, they found a home in the Bronx.
Before long, he became a fabric cutter. He showed entrepreneurial talent even as a young man and began exporting fabrics to Cuba - an enterprise that ended when Fidel Castro took power.
In 1968, Mr. Blumenfeld left New York and came to Tampa, where he opened his first Fabric King store at 1111 N Franklin St. Over the years, he lived in several buildings along Bayshore Boulevard.
Fabric King was a resounding hit, and by the late 1980s the chain included 50 stores across Florida. On average, he opened about five stores every two years.
Fabric King's success was a direct result of Mr. Blumenfeld's devotion and belief in hard work, his family said.
"The legend is that he actually slept in the warehouse in the early days," Silberzweig said. "He was that devoted to the business. He didn't want to be away from it."
Mr. Blumenfeld sold Fabric King in the late 1980s. Eventually, the chain went out of business.
He amassed a personal fortune and was famous for his generosity, especially to Jewish causes and organizations. Mr. Blumenfeld supported several synagogues and donated to the University of Jerusalem and the Boys Town of Jerusalem.
He had been in declining health for several years after suffering a stroke while traveling in Poland, his sister said. He later developed throat cancer and other health problems. Family members said they didn't know the exact cause of his death.
"He was a tough, gruff businessman," Silberzweig said. "But he was also a philanthropist. He gave very generously. It's basically one of those stories of someone who made something out of himself through ingenuity and very, very hard work."
