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Shor's financial affairs were usually shaky at best, thanks to a cavalier attitude toward the IRS, coupled with a generous nature; debts were frequently forgiven for friends who had fallen on hard times, and drinks and meals were comped on a regular basis. Although indigent at the time of death, Shor
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Shor cultivated his celebrity following by giving them unqualified admiration, loyal friendship, and a kind of happy, boozy, old-fashioned male privacy. Those whom Shor really liked were called "crum-bums". Shor reputedly said that he didn't care if he was a millionaire–so long as he could live like
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and a crowd of screaming fans being held back by police, Toots pulled a dollar bill out of his pocket and said to Frank, "Here, kid, go across the street and buy me a paper." At the opera with friends during the intermission Toots declared, "I bet I'm the only bum in this joint that doesn't know how
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Shor and his wife Marion ("Baby") lived for many years in a 12-room double apartment at 480 Park Avenue, where they raised their four children named Bari Ellen, Kerry, Rory and Tracey. Tracey, who was Toots' youngest daughter and a late arrival, was taken in and raised by his friends, comedian Bob
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in 1930 and found employment as a bouncer at the Five O'Clock Club, which served as his introduction to celebrities. He later worked at several other nightspots: The
Napoleon Club, Lahiff's Tavern, the Ball & Chain, the Madison Royale, and Leon & Eddie's. He became a man about town in
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complained about waiting twenty minutes for a table and said, "I trust the food will be worth all that waiting." Shor replied: "It'll be better'n some of your crummy pictures I stood in line for." Once while standing outside his restaurant with
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In 1971, authorities padlocked the doors of the 52nd Street restaurant for nonpayment of federal, state, and local taxes totaling $ 269,516. He vowed to open again in three weeks, but 18 months passed before his restaurant at 5 East
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Shor is also a character in the acclaimed Don DeLillo novel "Underworld", appearing in the books opening (and most acclaimed) segment, along with fictionalized versions of other true-life figures of 1951.
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Orthodox Jewish parents – his father of Austrian descent from Germany and his mother from Russia. He and his two older sisters were raised in a home above the family candy store in
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Shor was a raconteur and a master of the "needle," jibes or quips directed at the famous. Celebrity alone was not enough to receive first-class service in Shor's restaurant. According to
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147:. He ran three establishments under that name, but his first was located at 51 West 51st Street. He was a saloonkeeper, friend, and confidant to some of
485:"Films Recognized at Inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Film Fest," National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum press release, Wednesday, November 15, 2006.
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During his final years, they lived at the Drake Hotel. He died at age 73, ending a six-week stay in New York
University Hospital.
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opened. For a variety of reasons, however, his famous clientele never returned with their former regularity.
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expressed no regrets, stating that he started out broke and figured it was OK to go out that way as well.
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Hope and his wife
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and tried to emulate the decor and atmosphere of the original. The then–Chief
Justice,
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but had until June 1959 to leave. In 1960, he opened at a new location at 33 West
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Anderson, Dave (24 Jan 1977). "Toots Shor, 73, 'Saloonkeeper' and Host, Dies".
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In 1950, Shor was the subject of a three-part biography published in
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Shor was an occasional guest on television programs, including
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sells the "Toots Shor Blouse" and "Toot's Shore Dress".
353:'s first annual film festival on November 12, 2006.
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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173:Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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339:. In 2006, the biographical documentary
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267:54th Street
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