Next person biography:
Harry/Herschel Goldberg was born in Russia in 1901 to Israel and Celia Goldberg. He was the son of a family that would later become a prominent figure in the culinary world. In 1905, the family emigrated to the United States, where Harry would grow up to be a successful writer and entrepreneur.
Despite dropping out of school at the age of 12, Harry's life was marked by a series of entrepreneurial ventures. His mother, Celia, started a catering business to support the family after his father's illness, and Harry, along with his siblings, helped out.
In 1932, Harry married Mildred Becker, a college graduate, and had three children with her. However, his life took a dramatic turn after a serious accident in his fifties left him hospitalized. During his recovery, Harry began writing about his life in the twenties and thirties, as well as the syndicates that controlled businesses in New York.
To protect himself and his family, Harry changed his family name to Grey and went on to author several bestselling books, including "Call Me Duke", "Portrait of a Mobster", and "The Hoods". His books were translated into foreign languages and became successful both domestically and internationally.
One of Harry's most notable works was "Portrait of a Mobster", which was later adapted into a successful motion picture. Another book, "The Hoods", was adapted into the epic movie "Once Upon A Time In America", starring Robert De Niro as a character loosely based on Harry's life. The film also featured James Woods, Joe Pesci, and Tuesday Weld.
Sadly, Harry passed away in October 1980, just before filming on "Once Upon A Time In America" began. Despite his untimely death, Harry's legacy lives on through his writings and the films that were adapted from them.
