Joseph Lustig

 “Mr. Lustig was one of the many Youngstowners who were not daunted by hardship, but used perseverance, self-denial and a talent for business to become leaders of their city.”[1]  

Born August 15, 1859 in Austria-Hungary, Joseph Lustig left for America at the age of thirteen to avoid serving in the emperor’s army. He arrived in New York City with only five cents in his pocket. He sought a job selling newspapers to save enough money to contact his relatives in Cleveland. Once Lustig relocated to Ohio, he immediately took a job as a newsboy for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Joseph began his entrance into the world of entrepreneurship by saving his money to buy a backpack that he filled with notions and began selling them door to door. Eventually he expanded his service region to include the area between Cleveland and Youngstown, often walking nearly seventy miles both ways. It would take Joseph five years to save enough money to buy a horse and wagon to aide in his peddling endeavor. 

After an additional seven years of selling notions, Joseph finally had enough savings to open a fruit stand and cigar store in downtown Youngstown. Shortly thereafter, he was joined by his brother Max and the two opened a grocery business that they would run for eighteen years. Finally in the late summer of 1900, Joseph and Max purchased Turner-Cornelius Shoe Store and turned it into Lustig Shoe Store. Eventually with several locations, their venture became one of the largest shoe stores in the Youngstown area.[2]    

Lustig Bros. 1906 advertisement. Acc. No. JA90-155, MVHS Collection.

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