1627-11 Interviews •
INTERVIEW WITH
RUTH SCHWARTZ/MRS. IRVING MILLER
MAY 27, 2004
Husband(Miller) involved in Cardozo, Carlyle, Haddon Hall, Richmond, Cleremont,
Liberty Arms. Husband came from Russia, then NY in late 1930s.
She came down in 1941. Cardozo was the first 99 year lease in Miami Beach. Named for
Supreme Court associate justice Benjamin Cardozo(1870-1938). Miller donated to
Cardozo family to be able to use name. His portrait is(was) on the second floor.
We ran Carlyle. Army took over, didn't pay us during the war. Soldiers ruined the rooms.
Army took our home, too. (4420 North Bay Road.)We opened a bar on 41s1 Street called
'the Hangar. Also took a lease on the Rendale which we ran for officers only. In addition
to the room, we fed them breakfast and dinner for a total of$11 a day. They also paid for
their uniforms. They stayed six weeks, two to a room. We sometimes put out the money
for their uniforms. We also run Hadden Hall for the Army. After the way, we got Haddon
Hall back, also had the Richmond with a partner. We built the Cleremont after the war
and finished the Richmond. Liberty Arms was an apartment hotel behind Wolfie's. Most
of people who stayed with us were Jewish; there were non-Jewish bookies.
We rented rooms in the summer for $2; in winter it was $50 a day. We didn't close for
the summer. (Most of this is Haddon Hall.)Hotel had neon tubes on the outside. No a/c;
floor fans. Put"eyeball" ledges in for shade. Divorced Miller; went to NJ, later married
again.
Night club on 23`'d Street: the Mocamba Club [shows as Mocamba Restaurant 100 23rd
Street in 1947 City Directory; 1949 was Singer's Restaurant] There was a chorus line and
a star performer was Miguelito Valez; he first sang Babaloo (sp?). Entertainers came
from Cuba and worked for peanuts. Cuban tourists came.
Once had six hotels going. Sold alligator bags from Cuba; bought for$15, sold for $50.
Had shop called Rancho Grande, on 23`d, facing the Roman Pools [104 23`'d St. Rancho
Grande gifts 1949 City Directory].
Hohauser did Cardozo; Estafani has it now. Advertised on the trains; Orange Blossom,
Silver Star. Had ads in ceiling. (????) People came down without reservations. If they had
one, we met them at the train station in a station wagon. The pickup was included in the
price of the room. If they had no reservation, we paid off the taxi driver to take them to
our hotel.
At lunchtime, we'd hired guys off other construction jobs to work on ours; no unions. I
did the decorating. Go to Chicago to the Furniture Mart.
r °
We leased the Leslie for a while.
Wished owned half of Art Deco now. Was friendly with Polly de Hirsch Meyer; Sophie
Tucker. Gables stayed at the Rendale during war, never allowed anyone to shine his
shoes but himself. We blacked out windows facing the ocean. Rendale on 36th St., "n the
dry side."