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To The Memory of

Ida and Harry Attman

for the example they set

and the values they instilled

of hard work, charity, and

concern for others

as seen in this history of

five generations of Attmans

&

To My Wife, Gail,

with love and appreciation

for her valued assistance

in the preparation

of this book

FOREWORD

by Martin O’Malley

Governor of Maryland

It is rare, even in a great City like Baltimore, for a business to survive for 100 years. Yet, Attman’s Delicatessen is run by a very rare and special family. Few families have contributed so much to our City and State over these past four generations than the Attman family.

The story of the Attmans of Lombard Street and the famed Attman’s Delicatessen is a fascinating one, and “It All Started With a Deli” captures the many facets of this intriguing tale.

I have had the privilege of being friends with many of the Attmans for many years. During my time serving as Mayor of Baltimore, I had the opportunity to officially name a street near Attman’s Deli in memory of Seymour Attman soon after his untimely passing. Seymour was one of the three sons, along with Edward and Leonard, of Harry and Ida Attman, the founders and operators of Attman’s Delicatessen.

Every year, Leonard Attman and his wife, Phyllis, and the extended Attman family are joint hosts with me and my wife for Chanukah parties in Government House.

In my time in Annapolis, Leonard has generously agreed to serve on the Maryland Stadium Authority, and Edward’s son Gary has agreed to serve on the University of Maryland Board of Regents.

As you will see in these pages, Harry and Ida Attman, starting married life as poor immigrants, operated a small deli that would eventually garner a national mouth-watering reputation. It has now thrived close to a century.

Harry and Ida raised three sons and instilled them with the importance of education and the values of hard work, charity, faith, and giving back to the community. Those sons and their progeny would go on to build successful businesses that now employ thousands of people and serve the needs of a gamut of institutions, corporations, small and mid-size operations, and nonprofits. Their charitable endeavors help fund schools, hospitals, synagogues, non-denominational institutions, poverty programs, youth groups, and many other services touching many lives, here and abroad.

Indeed, the Attman story is one worth telling and sharing. It reminds us of what America can be for those who can seize its opportunities.