Samuel "Sonny" Gindi (1924–2012) was the co-founder of the Century 21 department store. He had an estimated net worth of $6 billion.
Biography Gindi was born in Brooklyn, New York to a Sephardic Jewish family of Syrian Jewish origin. His father died when he was nine. At the age of 14, he opened his first retail store and in the 1950s, he opened a children's clothing store. In 1959, leveraging his retail experience, he partnered with Alfred Sutton and Morris Sutton,PRN Newswire: "Changes In Children's Wear Industry Leads Apparel Company To Reinvent Itself – After 48 years of success, Lollytogs, Ltd. has a new corporate identity reflecting their innovations in business" January 8, 2007Exceed Network: "Alfred Sutton’s Story of Innovation in Sourcing Over the Last 60 Years" By Sophia Franco retrieved December 5, 2017 he opened the Lolly Togs children's wear business which was the first importer to do business with Hong Kong. Lolly Togs changed its name to the LT Apparel GroupBloomberg: "Company Overview of LT Apparel Group" March 20, 2015 in 2007. In 1961, he partnered with fellow Sephardic community member and cousin Al Gindi and opened the Century 21 department storePhilly.com: "Century 21: Expanding beyond its retail comfort zone" By Chris Hepp April 30, 2014 on Cortlandt Street in lower Manhattan.CNBC: "Every day is Black Friday at Century 21" 29 Nov 2013 At the time of his death, Century 21 had expanded throughout the New York metropolitan area with locations in Westbury, New York, Rego Park, Queens, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Morristown, New Jersey, Paramus, New Jersey, and on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Al Gindi's son, Raymond Gindi, serves as Century 21's chief operating officer April 30, 2014Family Business Magazine: "Family-owned Century 21 retailer coming to Philadelphia" April 30, 2014 while Sonny Gindi's son, Isaac Gindi serves as its chief executive officerPhiladelphia Inquirer: "Store owner pledges to 'alter the retail landscape' in Center City" By Chris Hepp June 12, 2014 and his son Eddie Gindi, its executive vice president.Philadelphia Inquirer: "Mirror, Mirror: Century 21, discount delight" By Elizabeth Wellington October 16, 2014Philadelphia Business Journal: "Inside the Reporter's Notebook: Eddie Gindi of Century 21 interviewed by Natalie Kostelni" October 2, 2014
Personal life and philanthropy Gindi was married to Irene Tawil with whom he had four children: Isaac Gindi, Eddie Gindi, Jack Gindi, and Rachelle Gindi. Gindi was a supporter of the United Jewish Appeal and the International Sephardic Education Fund (ISEF) dedicated to “narrow(ing) Israel’s socio-economic gap through higher education for gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds.” Gindi was a member of the Sha'are Zion synagogue and served on the synagogue's founding committee for several decades. He also served as president of the Magen David Yeshivah from 1970–1972. The Al & Sonny Gindi Scholarship Fund is named in his honorThe Jewish Image: "The Beginning of the Al & Sonny Gindi Scholarship Fund at Barkai Yeshivah" January 31, 2008 as is the Al and Sonny Gindi Barkai Yeshivah in Brooklyn.
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