Moe Levy "Outfitters to Man & Boy" (established 1882) was in business as Moses Levy, tailor, at 119 Walker St., New York City in 1896. Over the years Moses became Moe, then Moe Levy & Co., then Moe Levy & Son (Isador, in 1917).

Moe Levy manufactured and retailed men's clothing and specialized in low prices. From the home base of 119-125 Walker St. (which would now be considered a part of Chinatown) he opened numerous branch outlets in the city including Brooklyn, the Bronx and Jamaica, Queens. Particularly long-lived was the branch store on East 149 St. in the Bronx, first at 409 E. 149 (1921-1939), then across the street at 380 E. 149 (1940-1951).

Moe Levy & Son went out of business in the early 1950's.

This sign can be precisely dated to the range 1906-1908. (The branch locations at 1457 Broadway & 380-382 Fulton St., Brooklyn existed conjointly only in these years.) Click here for 1906 ad from the New York Times.

A beautiful photograph (which can be enlarged to show lots of nice detail) of another Moe Levy sign (from around 1927) can be found on Richard Kovacs' Greenwich Savings Bank web site. Oops! Richard seems to have left Earthlink; I'll try to track him down...

A photograph on the New York Public Library's Digital Library shows a Moe Levy sign next door to 195 Worth St., reading Moe Levy & Son Clothiers to Men and Boys. This is a photograph by Percy Loomis Sperr, dated 3 April 1926, with the comment "adjoining the N. E. corner of Mulberry Street."

This ad from the 1924 Manhattan Telephone Directory claims over 40 years in business!

Copyright © 2002 Walter Grutchfield