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David Mossafer was famous for his produce. And his cigar!
David Mossafer was famous for his produce. And his cigar!
Descending from a long line of rabbis, David Mossafer was advised by his father: “Don’t be a rabbi. It’s not an easy life.” So he trained as a boot maker in Rhodes until the Young Turk Revolution compelled his exit for America at age 19. In 1909, he resettled in Seattle and opened a shoe repair shop. By 1912, he had developed lung problems from the fumes and needed to find a new line of work. He opened a fruit stand in Pike Place Market with his relative, Marco Franco. For David, Marco and other Sephardic Orthodox Jews, working at the Market on Saturdays during the Sabbath Day of Rest was a difficult decision – but a necessary compromise to keep the business going. By 1928, David’s business had grown into a chain of 18 produce stands throughout the Seattle area called United Fruit Company.
