They threw the ripe bananas into the bay. Put them together and you have a startling and often hilarious account of one of the forgotten heroes (and villains) of the American empire.” —Zev Chafets He came to … In the late 1800s, at age 15, Sam Zemurray immigrated from Russia to Selma, Alabama, where he saw his first banana. The colorful characters in this study are fascinating, if not always admirable. Both companies played highly controversial roles in the history of several … This gave Sam an idea. Sam "the Banana Man" Zemurray, a Bessarabian Jewish immigrant, made a fortune in Honduran bananas after he got into the business of "revolutin," and his exploits are now legendary. He later bought a steamship and went to Honduras. Rich Cohen is a superb storyteller. Samuel Zemurray (nicknamed "Sam the Banana Man"; born Schmuel Zmurri; January 18, 1877 – November 30, 1961) was a businessman who made his fortune in the banana trade. Photo Illustration Chris Silas Neal; Associated Press (Zemurray) By Rich Cohen. He founded the Cuyamel Fruit Company, and later became head of the United Fruit Company, the world's most influential fruit company at the time. They loaded green bananas on trains bound for cities all across America. At that time, shiploads of bananas arrived in Alabama. After 1932, this world, known as bananaland, was led by Samuel Zemurray, Sam the Banana Man, a huge, colorful Russian who started out selling … The icon: Sam Zemurray. Which, according to Kinzer, is where Sam first immersed himself into geopolitics: Like many other American businessmen in Central America, Zemurray considered his land a private fiefdom. Sam "The Banana Man" Zemurray introduces the United States to the wonders of the banana and becomes the richest man in New Orleans. The Banana Men is a study of modernization, its benefits, and its often frightful costs. Sam The Banana Man. His success earned him the nickname "Sam the Banana Man." By age 21, he had banked $100,000. Sam "The Banana Man" Zemurray was born Schmuel Zmurri in Bessarabia, Russia, in 1877 to a poor Jewish family. “Sam ‘the Banana Man’ Zemurray was a larger-than-life character. He later added more land and found himself heavily in debt. His success earned him the nickname “Sam the Banana Man.” By age twenty-one he had banked $100,000. Five Lessons From the Banana Man ... Sam simply bought it from each owner. He later bought a steamship and went to Honduras. They emigrated to the United States when he was 14, where he began selling excess bananas from the ports in New Orleans to grocers along the railways lines so they could be sold inland before they were spoiled. The legacy: To paint a portrait of Sam Zemurray is to paint a portrait of the American dream. In 1910, he bought 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land along the Cuyamel River. Today: Sam "The Banana Man" Zemurray. 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