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Sugerman versus Sugarman of San Antonio


CDWells

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I thought I'd share some of my current research and see if anyone had anything to add and, maybe, clear up some confusion, because there is plenty.

Here is the big point. There was a Sugerman and a Sugarman doing business in San Antonio in the general military area in the same area of the city, same street at one point, but different specialties. Brain melted.

Harry Sugerman, Inc made badges, insignia, et c. He was a jeweller that moved from Chicago to San Antonio in the 1940's. Sugarman Uniform was a different family that specialized in uniforms of various kinds. I was trying to track Harry Sugerman around the city and kept getting the Sugarman's store address, which was down the street.

I'll do a series of separate posts on this thread to track the two through time and space, starting with Harry Sugerman, which is what I was actually researching.

 

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Harry Sugerman, Inc.

In 1940, Harry Sugerman was a in the wholesale produce business in Chicago. Here he is on the 1940 Census with his family. Son, Chas, is the Charles that would later run the business.

By 1950, they had moved to Texas and Harry had a military supply company in San Antonio.

M-T0627-01017-00171.jpg

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Harry Sugerman, Inc.

Here he is in Texas, in 1950, with his "Military Supply" business. This would have been in the spring. The trademark paperwork filed in 1965 states he was using the "Susco" mark from November of 1950.

43290879-Texas-061720-0023.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for your persistent research regarding the companies that manufactured US military insignia.  Your research shows Harry Sugarman as having been in the wholesale produce business in the 1940s (Chicago) and by 1950 being in the military supply business (San Antonio).  I'm assuming that your term of "by 1950" means that he did not have his military supply business during WW2 or do you have a year date when he switched professions?  Your research also mentions that Harry Sugarman began using the SUSCO hallmark by November of 1950 so do you know if he had his military supply business during the war years? 

 

The reason I ask is because I have been collecting US paratrooper wings for many years now and I've always felt that there have been a number of unscrupulous sellers of insignia who have taken sterling 1950s era Harry Sugarman Inc., hallmarked US basic paratrooper wings with clutch back rear fixings and modified them with pin back assemblies in an attempt to pass them off as having been produced during WW2.  Below are photos of an original clutch back sterling Harry Sugarman Inc. hallmarked paratrooper wing (photos 1 & 2) and a number of what I feel are modified ones where the clutch backs were removed and replaced with pin back assemblies (photos 3 thru 6) in an attempt to deceive a prospective buyer into thinking he or she was buying a WW2 era piece.   However I could be wrong as it would appear that Harry Sugarman did produce a factory made pin back sterling basic paratrooper wing during the 1960s with their later hallmark of S-21 under the SUSCO brand (photos 7 thru 10).   Most of the SUSCO hallmarked paratrooper wings I have come across have been clutch back with the exception of these two examples.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Sugarman Hallmark (3).jpg

Sugarman Hallmark (2).jpg

Sugarman PB replaced CB (1).jpg

Sugarman PB replaced CB (2).jpg

Sugarman possibly replaced CB with PB (1).jpg

Sugarman possibly replaced CB with PB (2).jpg

S21 Sterling PB (2).jpg

S21 Sterling PB (1).jpg

S-21 Sterling Pin Back CURRENT (2).jpg

S-21 Sterling Pin Back CURRENT (1).jpg

S21 (2).jpg

S21 (1).jpg

509th Inf (Abn) 1st Bn S21 SUSCO (2).JPG

509th Inf (Abn) 1st Bn S21 SUSCO (1).JPG

Susco S-21 GI (2).jpg

Susco S-21 GI (3).jpg

Susco S-21 GI (1).jpg

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  • 5 months later...

Saw this post and thought I would add to it - A very long service ribbon set made by Sugarman in the 1980's (at least) for a Korean War Vet that went to Vietnam and I suspect was commissioned after Vietnam - I am not sure if he was Army Reserve or National Guard since he has a NY Conspicuous Service Cross which he would not be allowed to wear State Awards while on active duty.

 

Bill

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