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BRIDES
All of the brothers got married, but the story of how Harry and Moe found their brides has become a family legend. Harry fell in love with a beauty named Rae and wanted to marry her. But Rae’s mother told Harry that he must first find a husband for Rae’s older sister, Lizzie. Lizzie was a lively sort and very sweet, but she was no looker.
However, since a younger sister could never marry
before the elder one said, “I Do!” Harry needed to
hustle up a husband. This turned out to be a
snap. Harry asked his older brother Moe if he
would become Lizzie’s groom. The Levine men, and the Salter men after them, are uncharacteristically compliant when it came to wives. “Sure,” said Moe, and the deed was done.
Each couple was happily married for more than forty-five years, when a great discovery was made. At age sixty-five, when it was time for Social Security benefits to kick in, the brothers learned the truth: Rae and Lizzie were twins, not identical, but twins nonetheless. And Rae was born first! Rae and Lizzie’s mom had managed to marry off both of her daughters to a solid set of Levine brothers!
The Levine brothers functioned as a unit. Their dry goods store, Levine Brothers, was located at 55 Delancey Street in Manhattan.
Above
Standing from left: Blanche Salter, Glady, Ed Salter, Goldie Salter, Aunt Rae Levine, Sonny, Janet, Myrna Salter (in front of Sonny). Bottom: Susan Salter Kaplan, Lena Salter with baby Elliott Salter, Art Salter and Helene Salter Arthur. (Susan is Blanche and Ed’s daughter. Myrna, Helene and Elliott are Art and Goldie’s children.)
Below
In June 2008, the original Levine Brothers location at 55 Delancey Street in New York was for rent.