44 North Shore Towers Courier n July 2014 PHILIP ROSENFELD – The Kid From Brooklyn Philip Rosenfeld has so many clear memories of growing up in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn that he published his life story in a well received memoir: The Kid From Brooklyn. This is a delightful read. Not an ego trip but more like a legacy he can leave his children and grandchildren. The trajectory of his life went from a a poor childhood with immigrant parents to a privileged life style that includes an early retirement, two homes, golf club memberships, travel to every continent, dozens of cruises and a Rolls Royce, that was a gift from his son. He recalls his very caring mother who “in winter put my socks and underwear on the radiator at night so that in the morning they were nice and warm when I put them on.” “My father was a hard working man holding two jobs. Yet, I was embarrassed by his strong European accent. I am ashamed to say that I would not introduce him to my friends who had more “American” fathers. I wish he were alive today so that I could say “I’m sorry.” Phil served his country from 1950 to 1952 in the United States Air Force. “In 1957 I took a job selling silverware and gift items to retailers on Long Island. My biggest and best customer was Fortunoff. My first year I made $15,000. I told my wife, Hilda that if I could make that every year we would be living in the lap of luxury.” This led to his opening his own appliance store partners with his brother: Ciro’s on Empire Boulevard. The business really took off and he was a major presence in the appliance business after a short time. He had many large corporate clients and lunched with major figures in the business and banking world. One day while meeting with an officer of Republic National Bank he suggested the bank reward depositors with a gift for opening an account, in lieu of interest. “I came up with items that would be given out ranging from a toaster all the way up to a a RCA T V set. T h i s became a roaring success and other banks copied the concept. Before long Ciro was grossing twelve million dollars a year, at retail, not including its premium business. That would be the equivalent of $100 million today. Customers would line up before the store opened to be sure they would benefit from our various promotions.” The family grew and the two children, Ricky and Donna married and produced five grandchildren. By 1978, after selling out to a public company, he was ready to retire, at the age of 47. His love of family and tennis augured well for a busy retirement. He is also an avid golfer with golf memberships in New York and Florida. The big looming question was, “How can I tell my mother?” She watched her husband work two jobs until the day he died at age 78. When told the news her first question was, “How can you and Hilda live if there is no money coming in?” They lived very well at their new home in Woodmont at Tamarac, Florida and an apartment in North Shore Towers. “I could play tennis twelve months of the year. This included playing Pro-Am tournaments to benefit The Hunger Project with stars like John McEnroe, Jimmy Arias, and Vitas Gerrilitas.” In each life there are times when rain must fall. In May, 2002 pain in his ear led to major surgery lasting seven hours. The extensive procedure required the removal of his ear canal, lymph nodes and a gland. A device was installed for cochlear conduction. This was followed by six weeks of radiation at LIJ Hospital. In 2011 Hilda suffered a stroke. But their positive attitudes didn’t stop them from celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on a cruise to exotic Tahiti, “probably our most memorable trip.” (see photo above) When one granddaughter , Rachel was in high school she was diagnosed with gastroparesis and missed a year of school. While recuperating she read a newspaper article about teenage girls in Cambodia being kidnapped off the street and being sold into prostitution. One reason was that there were a lack of schools to offer them shelter during the daytime. Rachel followed up on this story and decided that she would raise money to start a school for these girls. Getting a list of friends and business associates from her parents she sent letters seeking funds. After much effort she raised enough money to build a school and purchase supplies. “One of biggest thrills was when we went as a family to the dedication of the “Rachel Rosenfeld School” outside Siem Riep, Cambodia. Besides a representative from the King of Cambodia and local dignitaries and Rachel’s family a cameraman from the Associated Press attended. “When we got back to the States the story had legs and Rachel was famous. Her story was aired by CNN, NBC, CBS and many newspapers. “We are a charitable family that like to give back. We are so grateful for our good fortune and want to share it with others.” Hilda and Phil celebrating their 60th Anniversary in Tahiti By FRED CHERNOW
NST072014
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