1674-63 Morris Lansburgh . .. Lansburgh's 1
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Personality--
All
Extremes i
By SUSAN M.BURNSIDE HE LIQUIDATED his U-
Morale ataN Writer quor holdings in 1939 to buy 1i
Bowing low f r cm the the Strathaven Hotel at the
waist, flashing a toothful Beach and proceeded to put
smile and brimming with together a passel of package
courtliness, Morris Lens. tours aimed at white-collar
burgh made his way through workers. He then hired his i
the people-packed main din- hard-sell promoters and the
ing room of a cruise ship. blitz was on the Beach. #
"How are you?So good to When World War II came i
see you again," be purred as along, Lansburgh leased the
he passed by. At many ta- hotel to the U.S. Army and
bles, Lansburgh stopped, tried to enlist.A silver plate'
greeted his guests by their in his head, the result of a
first names,exchanged a few boyhood bicycle accident,
comments, bowed low and kept him out. He bided his
moved on. time selling Swiss watches.
In 1945, Lansburgh was •
THE GENIAL host— and back on the Beach and, with' •
owner— of Miami Beach's a partner, bought the Van- i •
largest chain of hotels plus a derbilt Hotel. Four years
couple in the Bahamas was later, at the age of 32, he
making his appointed rounds. leased the hotel and an-
He was enjoying and being nourced his retirement.
enjoyed. For a year,he and his wife,
"Isn't he the nicest man?" Jean, toured Europe, and
a bejeweled and be-minked then returned to their home •
matron confided to her es- on Pine Tree Drive at the t •
cort."So cavalier." Beach. •
A fellow hotel owner is The father of three came y
less kind to the 54-year-old out of retirement in 1950 '
Lansburgh:"Morris is one of with a vengeance and began •
the shrewdest businessmen to acquire the hotels that
around. He's got a fantastic today........: e up the Associat•
mind for facts and figures:I ed! Inc. They include
wouldn't do business with the fen Roc,the Deauville,
him for any reason. I'd be the Sans Souci and the Shea
sure to come out on the short ry Frommnac.
end." c-6----.
While Lansburgh has been HIS NEWEST acquisitions
playing the convivial host to are the Kings Inn and the I :::
his
his Beach hotelfuls,a federal ternational Hotel in Freeport,d
Grand Jury in Miami has Grand Bahama Island. C
been investigating him. The In the process he built up a
jury Thursday charged him, cadre of long-time devotedt
his partner Sam Cohen and employes and a column ort
racketeer Meyer Lansky of two of devout enemies. He
plotting to skim more than also earned millions and took
S14 million from a Las Vegas a two-year fling as a member
casino. of Miami Beach's Tourist 9e-
velopment Authority.
SINCE THE ei.enly tanned, The strong personality
dapper dresser descended on clash of Lansburgh and then
the Beach in 1939 to make a TDA Chairman Ben Novark,
market for the medium-in- Fontainebleau Hotel os ncr
come vacationer, he has di- and Lansburgh's biggest
vided his acquaintances into competitor,eventually result-
two camps: those that love ed in the replacement of that
him and those that hate him. authority with a seven-mem-
Where Morris Lansburgh, ber group.
boy-made-good-from•Balti- Lansburgh threw the same
more, is concerned, there is enormous energy into the •
little middleground. His is a TDA as he displays in oper-
personality of extremes. sting his hotels. `ovack did
He can be ruthless, de- the same.When the two egos
manding, rude and exasper- clashed, the explosion wtu-
sting.He can also be witty, ally shut down all TDA oper-
generous, charming and pa- ations for six months.
tient. "He demands the impossi-
Lansburgh.who resembles ble. He wants tomorrow's
a tipsy cherub when he turns work done yesterday. He
on his full charm and widest thinks everyone should exist
grin, got his start in the li- on two hours' sleep. Yet I
quor business as a salesman wouldn't work for anyone
for his father's small distil- else." says one Lansburgb
lery. employe.