Abraham Hirschfeld

Abraham Jacob Hirschfeld (December 20, 1919 – August 9, 2005) was an American real estate investor, Broadway producer and political candidate from New York City. He was the owner of several buildings in Manhattan. He served as treasurer for the New York State Democratic Committee in the 1960s and as city commissioner of Miami Beach, Florida, in 1989.

Early life Abraham Jacob Hirschfeld was born on December 20, 1919, in Tarnów, Poland. He immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine in the early 1930s.

Hirschfeld became the owner of the Vertical Club, a health club on the Upper East Side. including unsuccessful bids as "Honest Abe" for the U.S. Senate in 1974 (defeated in Democratic primary), for New York City Council President in 1977, for Manhattan Borough President in 1997, for Lieutenant Governor of New York, for New York State Comptroller in 1998, and for Mayor of Miami Beach, Florida. In 1990, the Miami Beach City Commission censured its colleague Hirschfeld for spitting twice on a Miami Herald reporter, and censured him again in 1991 for telling an ethnic joke at a commission meeting.

In September 1987, Hirschfeld launched an unsuccessful campaign in Miami Beach to draft New York developer Donald Trump for president.

In 2004, Hirschfeld ran as a third-party candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York against Charles Schumer; Schumer won 71% of the vote, Hirschfeld garnered less than 1%.

Lawsuits In 1998, Hirschfeld offered US$1,000,000 to Paula Jones to drop her sexual harassment lawsuit against former US President Bill Clinton.

In 1999, Hirschfeld was cleared of charges he owed US$3.3 million in taxes.

Personal life Hirschfeld married Zipora Teicher Hirschfeld in 1943.