Father's side: My grandmother was the youngest of 8 kids to a Polish immigrant couple. Her american name was Anna. No one could pronounce her Polish name. She married the son of a German couple-his name was Gus. He was a NYC fireman. They first had my Uncle Bob and two years later my dad. Gus left 2 years after that because he didn't want my dad. Anna went to work for White Rock, a soda company and raised her two boys herself. She tried for government help (housing, etc.), but she owned a car so they said no. LOL She had gotten engaged at one point, but the man was Jewish, his mother forbade his marrying a divorced gentile with kids, so he killed himself. Anna stayed with White Rock until retirement-lived in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn and was the most bigotted person I'd ever met when it came to blacks and hispanics. Gus died in 1978 in Florida. He had remarried, but never had more kids.
Mom's side: Grandmother was from Poland-she came here with her family at about the age of 15 (we aren't sure how old she ever was). Of the 8 kids in her family, 5 died, including twins from smallpox when they were 18 months old or so. By the start of the German invasion of Poland, all correspondence with family back there came to an end. It's of course assumed, being Jewish, they all perished in death camps or ghettos. I know of no jobs she ever held.
Grandpa was the 'Mayor of Sheepshead Bay'. No one didn't know him. He was born in Russia to a sweater factory owner and his wife. He had one brother. When Grandpa was 5 or so, his father was killed by a street cart. His sickly mother lost everything afterward, became sicker and died within a few years. At the age of about 8, the Revolution was in full swing and Grandpa, who, with his brother, lived with an uncle, fled to Turkey. But within two years, the Turkish Holocaust had taken hold. Turks were killing Armenians, exporting Greeks and other nationals and, being Jewish, they figured they best get out. It was then they came here. Grandpa worked in the projects in which he lived, in the boiler room. When he finally retired, he remarked about how he was looking to sleeping in-until 6am
Grandma and Grandpa had 4 kids, including twin boys(Grandpa passed out when they announced she'd had two). My mother is the second born. Her older sister owns the 5th largest modelling agency in Manhattan(so she claims) and the 'boys' (heh, they're in their 60's now) were both quasi-famous college basketball stars and are now teachers and businessmen.