Who was George Brody?- Part 2.

There is a hat shop in San Francisco, Goorin Brothers (Goorin.com) which has operated since 1895. The hotel clerk who observed the emptying-out of GB's room(s) noted many hat boxes, and you will recall that GB is wearing a fedora in most of the photos. I wonder if the shop has records going back to the 1970s. Take a look at the website and tell me what you think.
 
There is a hat shop in San Francisco, Goorin Brothers (Goorin.com) which has operated since 1895. The hotel clerk who observed the emptying-out of GB's room(s) noted many hat boxes, and you will recall that GB is wearing a fedora in most of the photos. I wonder if the shop has records going back to the 1970s. Take a look at the website and tell me what you think.


It's worth looking into, but I'm not sure what exactly we'd ask. Can you share what idea's you have Annasmom?

here is the direct link to the hat shop.
http://www.goorin.com/
 
It's worth looking into, but I'm not sure what exactly we'd ask. Can you share what idea's you have Annasmom?

here is the direct link to the hat shop.
http://www.goorin.com/
I thought I'd send them a photo of Brody in a hat, say he had left unclaimed money in Oakland and no relatives we could find, and see if anybody recognized the picture. The present owner is fourth generation, so his father might well have sold hats to GB. However, I haven't yet looked to see if they have an e-mail address.
 
Great idea Annasmom! If you look at the site under frequently asked questions there are email addresses listed under press, for press inquiries, and sales under sales inquiries. No specific name to address, just sales@ and press@ the company name. I'd try those, and if the owners names are listed I am sure they have an email with there name preceding the company name. Maybe an email and a phone call to get a specific name and email addy would help. i'd send a few so all depts are covered. At least that increases the chances of someone reading and responding.
 
Question -- do we have anything of George Brody's where DNA could be obtained. I'm wondering if the DNA expert/investigator could give us more direction on George Brody based on a DNA sample. She seems to be able to determine ethnic orgin and clusters of people with similiar DNA. That could really help our search as we have so many amazing researches here.
 
Great idea Annasmom! If you look at the site under frequently asked questions there are email addresses listed under press, for press inquiries, and sales under sales inquiries. No specific name to address, just sales@ and press@ the company name. I'd try those, and if the owners names are listed I am sure they have an email with there name preceding the company name. Maybe an email and a phone call to get a specific name and email addy would help. i'd send a few so all depts are covered. At least that increases the chances of someone reading and responding.
I need some help with this. Does anybody have time right now? I was thinking of sending that picture of Brody wearing a hat, but I would have to scout it up in the BFH and right now I'm pretty overwhelmed with rehearsals for Christmas.
 
I need some help with this. Does anybody have time right now? I was thinking of sending that picture of Brody wearing a hat, but I would have to scout it up in the BFH and right now I'm pretty overwhelmed with rehearsals for Christmas.

~ All done Annasmom, I shot them off an email and attached the hat photo with GB, explained a wee bit as well, so the are aware of the 'why' we are asking. They may not have records that go back that far, but hoping an elder can take a look at the photo.

Best! SK
 
~ All done Annasmom, I shot them off an email and attached the hat photo with GB, explained a wee bit as well, so the are aware of the 'why' we are asking. They may not have records that go back that far, but hoping an elder can take a look at the photo.

Best! SK
Thank you so much, SK. Doogie sent me a picture of Brody in a Fedora and I did send it and a note to pr@goorin.com, saying I was a genealogical researcher. I'm trying to put a portable keyboard, stand, rack, etc. together here for a performance tomorrow night and wish I weren't such a mechanical idiot. Then I have to figure out how it works. Then I have to practice. 'Tis the season!
 
Hi,
seeming, by articles, that Russel DeVor was only a friend of MK; he never moved in California, because I read a article abt a marriage of a daughter of a grandaughter( now I remember no very well) around the 1970s... also MK's relatives no recognized GB picture as Russell boyfriend of MK... so most probably Russell boyfriend of MK, well.. it is no Russell DeVor, but only another Russell.... this is my opinion.....
abt GB know just some little info.... we know that he lived in Oakland, CA for some year, and from nov 1936 ; he appearing not in 1934; at the address of 1936, well in 1934 was resident other persons... the addresses in Oakland was always of Hotels addresses... we know that the birthyear most probably is the 1907, because I found a article very interesting abt this person... but no more infos....
I believe that:
- because he was so much secretive
- because he lived always in the Hotels ( Oakland and San Francisco) and never had a home
-because he appearing with GB name in 1936 and nothing came up (by deep search) in previous years with GB name and all probable records found are abt persons with normal life
well my opinion is that:
- GB was a false name and maybe in some period time of life, previous of 1936, he had some big problem, and for that changed the name and becoming GB...
- GB was born in the States or immigrated in the USA when very young
- GB maybe was a nazi lover
- GB was a swindler saying so many lies
- GB was interested only to money
- GB planned the Anna abduction so GW having more money for GB insurance
- GB was not a gay
- GB was not a pedophile
- GB was not a killer
- GB most probably.. had a christian education when he was young; when adult he refused this christian education and becoming a esoteric amateur, self-taught; but with many gaps abt that..
- GB loved the book quotations... the music... but always as a simple amateur; he had not a real culture by schools... in all seeming to me a autodidact, and this meanings a person no happy of own condition, and with foolish ambition
- GB planned, in some way, of to have another new identity after GW death, and after insurance payment especially
- GB planned after that of to leave the States and to go in some part of world, maybe in Italy
-maybe GB met MK in Letterman hospital; that is possible
- GB had the power of to devastate the lifes of all persons that he met in the life that let us say: this man is our GB; we have only the addresses in Oakland and after in San Francisco; and we have the pictures; but always under GB name

currently we have no many clues for to search the real identity of GB; I enlarged the search abt the probable real surname starting with "Bro/Bra-Bor/Bar.. etc", but no luck; and abt Anna, well I believe, after so much search, that Anna was entrusted at some family, maybe a family knew from GB or GW.. I think not that Anna died.. it could be interesting to know the final destination of GW flights by TWA ...

all the best,
raf

Hi Raf,

Thanks for your amazing post. Maybe he was of German decent and that's why he had a love of the Nazi's.

I totally agree that GB was not his real name. He never did anything that would require ID or a SSN. He didn't own property, he lived in hotels rather than renting, he used a photo for the insurance policies and I don't remember reading anywhere that he drove a car, which would require a licence (Annasmom, can you confirm that he did/didn't drive?).

GB definitely had something to hide or to hide from. I have been trying to think of all the reasons that someone would change their indentity.

Criminal past/trouble with LE
Going AWOL from the armed forces
Draft evasion
To avoid paying child support/alimony payments
Hiding from relatives

Raf, I was wondering if you have come across any GB's that died around the time that this GB surfaced.

I would also like to know if there is any way that we can search for SNN's that suddenly became inactive with no evidence of the person dying.

This man is driving me nuts.
 
Hi Raf,

Thanks for your amazing post. Maybe he was of German decent and that's why he had a love of the Nazi's.

I totally agree that GB was not his real name. He never did anything that would require ID or a SSN. He didn't own property, he lived in hotels rather than renting, he used a photo for the insurance policies and I don't remember reading anywhere that he drove a car, which would require a licence (Annasmom, can you confirm that he did/didn't drive?).

GB definitely had something to hide or to hide from. I have been trying to think of all the reasons that someone would change their indentity.

Criminal past/trouble with LE
Going AWOL from the armed forces
Draft evasion
To avoid paying child support/alimony payments
Hiding from relatives

Raf, I was wondering if you have come across any GB's that died around the time that this GB surfaced.

I would also like to know if there is any way that we can search for SNN's that suddenly became inactive with no evidence of the person dying.

This man is driving me nuts.

Add one more reason for all the secrecy: Classic clinical symptom of Paranoia.
 
Question -- do we have anything of George Brody's where DNA could be obtained. I'm wondering if the DNA expert/investigator could give us more direction on George Brody based on a DNA sample. She seems to be able to determine ethnic orgin and clusters of people with similiar DNA. That could really help our search as we have so many amazing researches here.

RFF, sorry I got distracted and didn't answer your question. I can't think of anything which would have his DNA on it. There's that letter in his handwriting, but it is so old and has been handled by so many people that there's no way there could be anything on it. It's too bad...back then they didn't even know about DNA.
 
My DH surprised me yesterday with a very interesting magazine... he said "this screams Pamela" ... and it did! It was the new LIFE: "The Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of All Time." I was reading a really interesting story about a cadet that went missing from West Point in 1950, Richard Colvin Cox. I really got chills as the story unfolded and revealed the only real person of interest, "a mysterious man named George." There is a wiki article on the young cadet -- who rather unfortunately went by the name Dick Cox. Anyway, below is a link to the entire story that LIFE ran originally, in 1952. The article is really long and detailed. A couple of conflicting descriptions of George were given. There is no real reason for me to believe that this story has anything to do with GB ... but it did make my stomach flip ... so I guess my gut is telling me to pay attention!

The article (below) also goes to some depth about what it takes --even back then -- to assume a new identity and gives interesting statistics and anecdotes regarding the choice of names and occupations. Another weird coincidence re the 1952 LIFE story is that in the middle of the story there is an exerpt from an article in an upcoming issue about Marshall Tito, whose name I've come across many times searching various keywords related to Anna's case -- as he was the former leader of Yuogoslavia. Again, not related directly ... just sort of a Twighlight Zone moment!!

http://books.google.com/books?id=9FUEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA158&dq=Richard%20Colvin%20Cox&as_pt=MAGAZINES&pg=PA161#v=onepage&q=Richard%20Colvin%20Cox&f=false

I also have a theory that I have been working on and I will share in another post ... as I do not want it to be confused with the cadet mystery. I wonder, Annasmom ... do you know of any other sport-type activities GB may have been involved in as a youth ... other than boxing?
 
My DH surprised me yesterday with a very interesting magazine... he said "this screams Pamela" ... and it did! It was the new LIFE: "The Greatest Unsolved Mysteries of All Time." I was reading a really interesting story about a cadet that went missing from West Point in 1950, Richard Colvin Cox. I really got chills as the story unfolded and revealed the only real person of interest, "a mysterious man named George." There is a wiki article on the young cadet -- who rather unfortunately went by the name Dick Cox. Anyway, below is a link to the entire story that LIFE ran originally, in 1952. The article is really long and detailed. A couple of conflicting descriptions of George were given. There is no real reason for me to believe that this story has anything to do with GB ... but it did make my stomach flip ... so I guess my gut is telling me to pay attention!

The article (below) also goes to some depth about what it takes --even back then -- to assume a new identity and gives interesting statistics and anecdotes regarding the choice of names and occupations. Another weird coincidence re the 1952 LIFE story is that in the middle of the story there is an exerpt from an article in an upcoming issue about Marshall Tito, whose name I've come across many times searching various keywords related to Anna's case -- as he was the former leader of Yuogoslavia. Again, not related directly ... just sort of a Twighlight Zone moment!!

http://books.google.com/books?id=9FUEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA158&dq=Richard%20Colvin%20Cox&as_pt=MAGAZINES&pg=PA161#v=onepage&q=Richard%20Colvin%20Cox&f=false

I also have a theory that I have been working on and I will share in another post ... as I do not want it to be confused with the cadet mystery. I wonder, Annasmom ... do you know of any other sport-type activities GB may have been involved in as a youth ... other than boxing?
Hi, in 1961, another cadet missing; and by this article is mentioned Dick Cox (Richard Colvin Cox) missing also; well, it is wrote a brief description of mysterious George and seeming not our GB:

http://s6.imagestime.com/out.php/i440580_Cox1.jpg
i440580_Cox1.jpg

raf
 
Hi, in 1961, another cadet missing; and by this article is mentioned Dick Cox (Richard Colvin Cox) missing also; well, it is wrote a brief description of mysterious George and seeming not our GB:

(snipped)
raf

I agree that it is probably not our George but for what it is worth , the original LIFE article that I linked has two very different descriptions of "mysterious George" ... one is the same as your article, the other given is of a man well under 6 ft. with dark hair and features. It also says that some described him as speaking with a German accent.
 
one_hooah_wife I also have a theory that I have been working on and I will share in another post ... as I do not want it to be confused with the cadet mystery. I wonder said:
The picture of the cadet stopped me, but he would have been born in 1929 and that makes him too young for Brody. I don't know about "George". As for sports, I really think the only sport GB was involved with was listening to boxing matches on the radio (and later on TV).
 
I agree that it is probably not our George but for what it is worth , the original LIFE article that I linked has two very different descriptions of "mysterious George" ... one is the same as your article, the other given is of a man well under 6 ft. with dark hair and features. It also says that some described him as speaking with a German accent.
yes I understand your concern... but the mysterious "George " cannot be the our GB, also for other data, especially because the mysterious "George " served in WWII, in Germany, with Cox, instead GB was in Oakland, CA from 1936 until 1944...
the problem is that we cannot find the enlistment of GB; almost no under GB name... really the database is no complete to 100%, also it is possible that he never enlisted... and if so, why... GB appearing in Oakland in 1936, and previously of 1936, the life of this man is a big mystery... a big black hole...
raf
 
I don't know why I didn't think of this before. The Polish name for George is Adalbert. (strange translation, imo). Those of you with ancestry memberships, raf... can you check and see if you can find any info that might match our GB under the first name Adalbert?
http://polandpoland.com/common_polish_names.html


thanks!

ETA: Jerzy is also the first name George in Polish
 
Hi Cubby, I found that Adalbert or Albert was used from polish people that had as first name Wojciech; Gyorgy hungarian is the equivalent of George... however the only Adalbert that I found:
Name: Christopher George Adalbert Brodie
Father: James Brodie
Birth: 28 Jun 1870 - Peel, Ontario Canada

and cannot be our GB..
all the best,
raf
 
How did they know that GB didn't have a SSN? I only ask because I have recently come across a man who is now living with a close relative of mine and he is off the radar so to speak. Needless to say, I am concerned about my relative. His reason is Taxes, and old CC debt. So he has arranged his life so that he doesn't use a SSN. He has no DL, but drives. No current tags. His last address is a parking lot. He lived in a mobil home, and paid cash, month to month. He has an internet job, doesn't pay taxes, again. But my point is, he does have a SSN, he just doesn't use it.

Another thought about GB, if he belonged to any religious group, he could have been passed off as a teacher or leader of the church. Many of them, take cash donations, or get people to leave estates to them, (cults). He may have convinced Margret to do this, for this reason. He also would avoid taxes and SSN, and any kind of money trails. He was hiding from something......

Also the picture you have of him in the book, with the hat, it reminds me of the book jacket photos.
 
How did they know that GB didn't have a SSN? I only ask because I have recently come across a man who is now living with a close relative of mine and he is off the radar so to speak. Needless to say, I am concerned about my relative. His reason is Taxes, and old CC debt. So he has arranged his life so that he doesn't use a SSN. He has no DL, but drives. No current tags. His last address is a parking lot. He lived in a mobil home, and paid cash, month to month. He has an internet job, doesn't pay taxes, again. But my point is, he does have a SSN, he just doesn't use it.

Another thought about GB, if he belonged to any religious group, he could have been passed off as a teacher or leader of the church. Many of them, take cash donations, or get people to leave estates to them, (cults). He may have convinced Margret to do this, for this reason. He also would avoid taxes and SSN, and any kind of money trails. He was hiding from something......


Also the picture you have of him in the book, with the hat, it reminds me of the book jacket photos.

Hey Bern,

Good points. I believe the group checked George Brody's name against SSN and his possible age as critieria and didn't come with a match. There has been tons of searches on GB, but perhaps we need another check.

As far as a religous group, this is a thought which has struck many a WebSleuth, heehee...he certainly came across as a cult type of guy or something in a seck for sure. He was most def. hiding something, that is the mystery of this man. :) thanks so much for you ideas, they are indeed valid.

SK
 

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