Martin Greenfield, industry icon of Williamsburg, dies at 95.
Martin Greenfield Clothiers put the emphasis on topnotch, handmade work that attracted high-profile celebrities including Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Shaquille O’Neal, Jimmy Fallon as well as former American presidents: Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. The founder, Martin Greenfield, is considered America’s greatest living tailor by many and was acknowledged as such in a CNN headline.
On March 20, Martin passed away at 95 in a Long Island hospital. A funeral service will be held on Friday, March 22 at 11:30 a.m. at Gutterman’s Funeral Home 8000 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, NY. For those who wish to attend virtually, a livestream can be viewed here: https://guttermansinc.com/funeral/martin-greenfield/. Shiva services will be held at the home of his son, Tod Greenfield.
“Martin was an impeccably dressed dynamo, wearing a natty suit and tie in the factory even on the most sweltering summer days. He charmed everyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting him. His beautifully crafted suits made anyone who wore them stand up a little straighter and look a little more handsome. He was a friend to all of us here at Evergreen, and we will all miss him,” said Leah Archibald, executive director of Evergreen. Martin was a former president of Evergreen.
Martin began setting roots as fixture of North Brooklyn industry shortly after he moved to New York City in 1947. He was hired as a floor boy at GGG, a clothing factory at 239–241 Varet Street. This job consisted of relaying garments-in-process from worker to worker who would bring them to their next step; this gave him the opportunity to observe all the elements and efforts in making clothes. He rose through the ranks to become production manager, and he purchased the business thirty years after his floor boy days when the owner had decided to close up shop.
Martin Greenfield Clothiers was established in 1977, and Martin remained at the helm until 2012, when he handed the mantle to his sons Tod and Jay. The business also remains unionized.
“[Martin] started his career as a union member and always felt a strong desire to give back to the communities that welcomed him,” the business’ website states.
When asked why he would not move his manufacture operations to China where production would be a fraction of the cost, “I would never, ever [consider] it because of all of the American jobs we have created here,” Martin stated in an interview with Rabbi Levi Welton.
As a business owner Martin became active in empowering his business and other businesses in facing challenges. He was a founding member of Evergreen, and through this organization battled the high-crime rate, which at times was a debilitating obstacle to his business’s success. Evergreen was formed in the 1980s to protect the quickly evaporating North Brooklyn employment base. Locally, manufacturers and businesses employed 15,000 residents and Evergreen assists with tax incentives, financing, real estate, relocation, energy, and green-related issues as well as workforce needs through St. Nicks Alliance. Martin Greenfield also served on the board of the St. Nicks Alliance and on Brooklyn Community Board 1.
Martin Greenfield was born Maximilian Grünfeld on August 9, 1928, in an eastern European village that at the time of his birth was in Czechoslovakia but now is in Ukraine. His birth year and his earliest home’s location offer some dire foreshadowing to how he would spend his later teens. When he was fifteen he and his family were taken to Auschwitz. Martin was his family’s sole survivor. He would later become a prisoner of Buchenwald, where he was liberated from in 1945. It was in Auschwitz that a fellow prisoner taught him how to sew. This skill came in handy for his survival while facing brutality and deprivation in the camps and would set him on a path to success in the United States.
Martin Greenfield Clothiers has evolved from a cut, make, and trim producer for menswear shops, department stores, and designers into a direct-to-consumer custom suit maker. Their clothing has also been seen in movies and television shows. One of the more iconic of these outfits was the Joker’s red suit, orange vest, and teal shirt ensemble from 2019’s “Joker”. A GQ article claims this suit is the one redeeming thing about the title character.
Martin Greenfield Clothiers continues to branch out into new directions. This was demonstrated during the early stages of the COVID 19 pandemic when they created masks and hospital gowns.
Martin Greenfield has lived a life, defied the odds, and given back to the community in ways most would like to aspire to. His legacy lives on, but the man will be missed.
The Greenline 