Alvan Kallman

Alvan Edward Kallman (March 13, 1902 – September 1, 1964)[1][2] was an American hotelier.

Kallman was born in New York City[3] to Charles Kallman and Regina Kallman. His father died when he was ten or eleven.[4]

Kallman was a barnstorming pilot and later an air mail pilot in the early 20th century. After retiring from flying, he worked for the Hotel St. George in New York, serving as banquet manager from 1930 to 1939 (being the youngest banquet manager in the industry when appointed),[5] then serving as general manager from 1939 to 1943.[2]

Kallman then became owner of The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire and in 1946 part-owner (with Benno Bechhold and Harry Socoloff) of Feltman's, the large iconic complex at Coney Island containing the world's largest restaurant and other attractions, buying it from founder Charles Feltman's family.[2][6][7][8] He also owned the Savoy-Plaza Hotel in New York.[9]

In 1953, Kallman bought the then-new St. Johns Hotel[2] in the Vedado district of Havana, and a few years later added ten more stories.[10] Following the Cuban Revolution, the Castro government nationalized his property in 1960 and expelled him from Cuba,[2] wiping out his fortune.[9] He died in Miami in 1964.[2]

Kallman was married to Zara Whitman Kallman (1899 – 1988), a former Broadway actress.[11] He had two sons, actor and singer Dick Kallman, and intelligence officer Charles Kallman.[2][9][12]

References
  1. "New York City Births 1891 - 1902". Brooklyn Genealogy Information Page. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  2. "Alvan E. Kallman, 62, Dies". New York Times. September 4, 1964. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  3. "Alvan E. Kallman in the 1940 Census". Archives.com. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  4. "Charles Kallman". MyHeritage.com. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  5. Official Brooklyn Guide Book. 1939. p. 80. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  6. Uno (May 25, 1946). "Coney Island, N. Y." Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  7. "Feltman Family Sells Famous Coney Resort". Brooklyn Eagle. Brooklyn. April 29, 1946. p. 3. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  8. Dana Schulz (June 20, 2016). "Before Nathan's There Was Feltman's: The History of the Coney Island Hot Dog". 6sqft. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  9. "Better To Have Had And Lost Than Never To Have Had At All". El Paso Herald-Post. El Paso. December 11, 1965. p. 20. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  10. "Hotel St. John's". Cuba Heritage. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  11. "Notes About NBC Television Shows". Biddeford-Saco Journal. Biddeford-Saco, Maine. June 11, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
  12. Karissa Neely (June 14, 2015). "World War II vet recalls life in the wild blue yonder". [Provo] Daily Herald. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
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