Sonny Gindi
{{Short description|American businessman (1924–2012)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sonny Gindi
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth year|1924}}
| birth_place =
| birth_name = Samuel I. Gindi
| death_date = {{death year and age|2012|1924}}
| nationality = American
| education =
| occupation = businessman
| known_for = founder of Century 21 department store
| spouse = Irene Tawil
| parents =
| children = Isaac S. Gindi
Eddie Gindi
Jack Gindi
Rachelle Gindi
| family =
| website =
| other_names = Sonny
}}
Samuel "Sonny" Gindi (1924–2012) was the co-founder of the Century 21 department store. He had an estimated net worth of $6 billion.[http://jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=1407:sonny-gindi-founder-of-century-21-department-store-dies-at-88&Itemid=333 "Sonny Gindi, Founder of Century 21 Department Store, Dies at 88 and had an estimated net worth of six billion"]
Biography
Gindi was born to a Syrian,{{Cite web|first=Adam |last=Pincus |authorlink= |title= Clans with plans |publisher=The Real Deal|date= February 1, 2011|url=https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/clans-with-plans/ |via=The Wayback Machine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075701/https://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/clans-with-plans/| archive-date=March 4, 2016|quote= }}{{Cite news|first=Lucette |last=Lagnado |title= A Community, Shaken – A wealthy, insular Syrian Jewish enclave in Brooklyn reels after rabbis' arrests |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=October 3, 2009 |url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204488304574431453210263592 }} Sephardic Jewish family.{{Cite news|first= Fern |last=Sidma |title= Sonny Gindi, Founder of Century 21 Department Store, Dies at 88 and had an estimated net worth of six billion |newspaper=Jewish Voice|date=June 20, 2012 |url=http://jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=1407:sonny-gindi-founder-of-century-21-department-store-dies-at-88&Itemid=333 }}{{Cite web |first=Elie |last=Sutton |title=Alien at Home |website=Elie Sutton Sephardic History |url=http://www.eliesutton.com/PART28.pdf |access-date=March 23, 2014 |archive-date=March 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324014412/http://www.eliesutton.com/PART28.pdf |url-status=dead }} His father died when he was nine. At the age of 14, he opened his first retail store and in the 1950s, he opened a children's clothing store. In 1959, leveraging his retail experience, he partnered with Alfred Sutton and Morris Sutton,[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/changes-in-childrens-wear-industry-leads-apparel-company-to-reinvent-itself-53346972.html PRN Newswire: "Changes In Children's Wear Industry Leads Apparel Company To Reinvent Itself – After 48 years of success, Lollytogs, Ltd. has a new corporate identity reflecting their innovations in business"] January 8, 2007[https://www.exceednetwork.org/alfred-suttons-story-of-innovation-in-sourcing-over-the-last-60-years/ Exceed Network: "Alfred Sutton’s Story of Innovation in Sourcing Over the Last 60 Years" By Sophia Franco] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203224627/https://www.exceednetwork.org/alfred-suttons-story-of-innovation-in-sourcing-over-the-last-60-years/ |date=2017-12-03 }} retrieved December 5, 2017 he opened the Lolly Togs children's wear business which was the first importer to do business with Hong Kong. Lolly Togs changed its name to the LT Apparel Group[https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=4399630 Bloomberg: "Company Overview of LT Apparel Group"] March 20, 2015 in 2007. In 1961, he partnered with fellow Sephardic community member and cousin Al Gindi and opened the Century 21 department store[https://web.archive.org/web/20141021194302/http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-30/news/49497028_1_century-21-al-gindi-downtown-new-york Philly.com: "Century 21: Expanding beyond its retail comfort zone" By Chris Hepp] April 30, 2014 on Cortlandt Street in lower Manhattan.[http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000220975 CNBC: "Every day is Black Friday at Century 21"] 29 Nov 2013 At the time of his death, Century 21 had expanded throughout the New York metropolitan area with locations in Westbury, New York, Rego Park, Queens, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Morristown, New Jersey, Paramus, New Jersey, and on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Al Gindi's son, Raymond Gindi, serves as Century 21's chief operating officer[https://archive.today/20150319173457/http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-30/news/49497068_1_raymond-gindi-century-21-nordstrom-rack Philadelphia Inquirer: "Will buyers flock to Philadelphia's Century 21?" By Elizabeth Wellington] April 30, 2014[http://familybusinessmagazine.com/index.php?/news/single/family-owned_century_21_retailer_coming_to_phila Family Business Magazine: "Family-owned Century 21 retailer coming to Philadelphia"] April 30, 2014 while Sonny Gindi's son, Isaac Gindi serves as its chief executive officer[https://web.archive.org/web/20140630050446/http://articles.philly.com/2014-06-12/business/50511478_1_century-21-larry-steinberg-center-city Philadelphia Inquirer: "Store owner pledges to 'alter the retail landscape' in Center City" By Chris Hepp] June 12, 2014 and his son Eddie Gindi, its executive vice president.[https://web.archive.org/web/20141017225502/http://articles.philly.com/2014-10-16/entertainment/55065695_1_flagship-store-eddie-gindi-century-21 Philadelphia Inquirer: "Mirror, Mirror: Century 21, discount delight" By Elizabeth Wellington] October 16, 2014[http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/event/99601 Philadelphia Business Journal: "Inside the Reporter's Notebook: Eddie Gindi of Century 21 interviewed by Natalie Kostelni"] October 2, 2014
Personal life and philanthropy
Gindi was married to Irene Tawil with whom he had four children: Isaac Gindi, Eddie Gindi, Jack Gindi, and Rachelle Gindi. Gindi was a supporter of the United Jewish Appeal and the International Sephardic Education Fund (ISEF) dedicated to “narrow(ing) Israel’s socio-economic gap through higher education for gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds.” Gindi was a member of the Sha'are Zion synagogue and served on the synagogue's founding committee for several decades. He also served as president of the Magen David Yeshivah from 1970–1972. The Al & Sonny Gindi Scholarship Fund is named in his honor[http://www.imageusa.com/archives/12804 The Jewish Image: "The Beginning of the Al & Sonny Gindi Scholarship Fund at Barkai Yeshivah"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140323205412/http://www.imageusa.com/archives/12804 |date=March 23, 2014}} January 31, 2008 as is the Al and Sonny Gindi Barkai Yeshivah in Brooklyn.{{Cite news|first= Karen|last= Matthews|title= NYC's plan for prayer break in pre-K classes raises concerns |newspaper=New York Daily News|date=March 15, 2015 |url= https://www.nydailynews.com/sdut-nycs-plan-for-prayer-break-in-pre-k-classes-2015mar15-story.html }}
References
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Category:20th-century American Sephardic Jews
Category:American retail chief executives
Category:American people of Syrian-Jewish descent
Category:American people of Syrian descent
Category:Syrian businesspeople
Category:Syrian emigrants to the United States