Charles Greenblatt Co.

[HeyJoe]

Jovino was on Centre Market Place also. I bought a couple of guns from there. its not far from city hall but its in Little Italy.

 

[stu1ritter]

I shot at the Murray St. range every Saturday morning while I was in high school to practice for our high school matches. It was, as far as I knew, in the mid 50's, the only range in the city. Here is an old photo I don't remember where it came from. I remember the booths and that table. I don't think it exists anymore.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

My dad's office warehouse used a 17 Park Place address but the building opened on both sides and I think it was 16 Murray Street in back. That's how I discovered that range!

 

[stu1ritter]

I just looked at the address on Google Earth, street view. The address is still there but the neighborhood looks a wee different than it did when I was practicing for the Stuyvesant rifle team. My fathers place was on 22nd and 12th.

 

[iralangstein]

Charles Greenblatt was my grandfather

Hello Froggie,

If ever there were three guys who lucked out, it was Charlie Greenblatt, Sol Jacobson a.k.a. Jake, and Louie Greenblatt, Charlie's younger brother. Before they got into business together, Charlie drove a milk truck that was drawn by a horse, Jake drove a fat truck, also drawn by horse, and Louie had some kind of job that did not require a horse.

These guys were hard-working people who came up the hard way. Charlie and Jake seemed to have very little formal education, but I can't say the same for younger brother, Louis. He was more polished and gentrified than the other two. He was also the workhorse.

Jake and Charlie were interested in police and guns, and joined the volunteer auxiliary police. New York City auxiliary police had absolutely no police powers. They're prohibited from carrying guns, and were told not to do anything except call for the regular cops, in case it was something that needed police involvement.

They both had pistol licenses, and used to enjoy going to the range to practice. They began to buy used guns, and resell them, for pocket change. At the time, in the middle 1940's, Colt was the dominant player in the law enforcement market, and Smith & Wesson wanted very badly to change that. Part of the problem was that most departments required cops to carry a six shot 38 sp. revolver off-duty, and Colt's Detective Special was much lighter, and easier to conceal than Smith & Wesson's six shot M & P 2 inch, which was a K-frame weapon. The five shot Chief's Special was prohibited, and nothing S & W could do would make NYPD change its mind.

Meanwhile, Charlie and Jake were doing pretty well buying and selling used guns for cash and trade. Each tired of the smell of horse manure that came with their delivery jobs, they decided to open a store, and devote all their efforts to a gun business.

In 1944, they moved into 3 Centre Market Place, which was surrounded by other police equipment/gun stores, because of its close proximity To New York City Police headquarters, as well as many State, City, Federal agencies.

Like the others, Greenblatt's sold to cops and pistol permit holders alike. Somehow, after incorporating and legitimizing their business, Smith & Wesson agreed to make them law enforcement "distributors". This was the turning point for Charles Greenblatt Incorporated. although, believe it or not, that was no great feat, because Smith & Wesson's were a hard to sell to law enforcement.

Yes, Froggie, anyone who had a badge or a NYPD pistol license, could buy a gun from Greenblatt. However, Smith & Wesson required all of its distributors to sell handguns at dealer price to cops and dealers. Others paid the retail price.

NYPD had strict uniform requirements requiring on duty leather goods, made by a company called Jay-Pee. There were no fancy rigs allowed, and these holsters were not form fitted and they had no strap to snap over the hammer. Naturally,Greenblatt sold that brand. At that time, holsters were very simple, both on and off duty.

(I've got to get to work, so I can't add any more at this time. I could write a book about the Greenblatts, but I don't know if anyone would be that interested in them.If there are any direct questions that you would like to have answered, I will oblige as promised). Otherwise, I'll assume that everyone's interest has been satisfied. I've got to catch the subway now, or I will be late for work.)

I know this thread is many years old, but I thought I would reply. Charles Greenblatt was my grandfather. He lived until 93 and passed away. in Boynton Beach, FLa in December, 2001 peacefully. It is gratifying to see all the mentions of him here, and that his legacy lives on.

 

[DCWilson]

Ira, thank you for contributing to this thread. I didn't have a Greenblatt S&W at the time this thread started, but in the intervening years I managed to acquire an uncommon Model 11-4 which he had sold. In an action to clean out vault stock for which there was no demand, S&W shipped several specimens of this model (as well as other models) to your grandfather's business in late 1970. The presumption is that they were all sold to individuals, and that some individuals may have bought more than just one of them. These revolvers chambered a .38 cartridge not used by departments and agencies in the United States, and there was no law enforcement interest in them. S&W had originally manufactured them for export to Commonwealth countries for which that round was standard.

 

[demkofour]

I visited Greenblatts numerous times in the 80s and 90s, first when they were in the big warehouse/retail store on Motor Pkwy, Hauppauge and later on the LIE Service Road in Brentwood. I delt mostly with Stan who was the retail sales guy and a true gentleman. The counters were generally very stocked with all sorts of Smiths and a couple of other make guns and it was always a pleasure to deal with the guys and the gals there.
I think once Suffolk County PD and neighboring associated agencies went to GLOCK in the early 90s, Greenblatts lost their "hold" on the local LE handgun market and the business sadly faded away…

 

[richardj]

Greenblatt

found this going through some catalogs and a search lead me here.
Never bin to Greenblatts but visited Sile and Jovino a number of times when they were on Center Mkt St. and Zirmos on Warren St.

 

[Green Frog]

I'm happy to see this thread emerge once again. It's a treat for folks interested in LEO guns (and leather) as well as anyone else interested in S&W's rise to prominence in NYC during the '50s.
I wonder whether Monga is still around.
Froggie

 

[ISCS Yoda]

What a great thread!!! I'll join in the renewal!

Monga - did you ever post the actual original street address? If it's above I must have missed it.

Back in the day I used to shoot at an underground range on Murray Street in lower Manhattan (there was not an abundance of ranges in NYC; I wonder it is still there). John Jovino had a shop nearby; I never got to go into it.

This was the range up until a few years ago; not sure now:

Downtown Rifle & Pistol Club
24 Murray St, New York, New York 10007
(212) 233-5420

I know the Jovino shop is in the Little Italy/Chinatown area but I seem to recall it near City Hall but I was very young and probably very mistaken.

Okay, I'll join in the revival.

It's been a few years since I was in Little Italy/Chinatown, NYC, but I did meander into the Jovino shop at the time.

However, my father had his business at 15 Park Place, the next street over from Murray Street. He had an office and a warehouse on the second floor, as I recollect. The rear, loading elevator opened up to Murray Street in the back of the building. That Downtown Rifle & Pistol Club was a couple of doors down and when I was old enough to own a rifle (which included my possession of my dad's F.W. Heym .22 caliber, single shot bolt gun and my Remington Model 788 in .308) that was where I did my shooting, at 24 Murray Street. Thanks for the memories!!!

What I can't recall correctly is whether the gun shop that I remember as Jovino's was on that same block or if there was another shop on Murray Street. A very dim memory for that but not for the shooting range! I loved that place.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

My dad's office warehouse used a 17 Park Place address but the building opened on both sides and I think it was 16 Murray Street in back. That's how I discovered that range!

2016 - I replied to this thread but without the additional commentary!

17 is the correct address. Nearby, at 15 Park Row, was my dad's earlier office address.

Something told me after I posted that I remembered this thread!

 

[SAKMD]

From 1962-69, my dad had a gunsmith shop in Corona, Queens. He was a licensed gunsmith, and had an unrestricted pistol repair license that allowed him to do work for the NYPD. At that time, John Jovino and Charles Greenblatt were both located on Center Market Place. My dad dealt with both businesses. I know for a fact that he did pistol repair work for John Jovino, but I don't know the nature of his relationship with Charles Greenblatt. Does anyone know whether pistol repair was done through Greenblatt or were they only involved in sales?