New York Pawn Shop

New York Pawn Shop was established in 1914 by Samuel (1875-1925) and Rachel Leah Poliakoff (1888-1969). After immigrating from Belarius in the early 1890s, Samuel married Rosa Greblowsky (1881-1902). Rosa died shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Fannie Bell (1902-1961) in 1902, and Samuel later married his second cousin, Rachel Leah. Together Samuel and Rachel Leah had seven children: Augusta (1906-1988), Max (1908-1990), Herman (1910-1997), Benjamin (1912-2003), Eunice (1914-1974), Helen (1917-2000), and Rose (1921-2004). After operating dry goods stores in Aiken and Laurens, Samuel and Rachel Leah opened their pawn store on South Main Street in Anderson. Initially operating at 408 South Main Street, the couple moved their business to 213 South Main by 1922.

After Samuel’s death in 1925, Rachel Leah and her oldest son, Max, continued to operate New York Pawn Shop until approximately 1930. At that time, Benjamin joined Rachel Leah and Max at 216 South Main Street for a new and short-lived enterprise, known as Poliakoff Department Store. By 1934, Max and his sister Helen began operating a shoe store while Benjamin revived his parents’ pawn shop at 305 South Main. For a time, Herman and Helen joined Benjamin in selling musical instruments and jewelry there, while Max’s wife, Estelle (1914-2005), operated Poliakoff Man from the same location.

By 1950, Rachel Leah, Max, Helen, and their families moved to Greenville, South Carolina and Benjamin moved to New York City. For the next few years, Herman and his wife, Dorothy (1916-2000), continued to manage New York Pawn Shop until they moved to Charlotte and established the Discount Uniform Shop. In addition to their work on South Main Street, Dorothy served as the director of the Little Theater and Herman led the local chapter of the March of Dimes and the South Carolina Association of B’nai B’rith Lodges.