[3] Harry Donenfeld was born into a Jewish family in Iași, in the Kingdom of Romania, and at the age of five emigrated to the United States with his parents and his brother Irving.

[4] Donenfeld spent his early life in and out of school, and later in and out of gangs,[5] refusing to settle down or find an occupation like his brothers, who had set up a printing enterprise.

[7] Under pressure to find a steady income, Harry found work with his brothers' printing company, now called Martin Press, as a salesman and fourth partner.

It is speculated that Harry, through links with gangster Frank Costello, moved alcohol, now illegal during the prohibition, along with legitimate Canadian pulp paper across the border.

By 1923 Donenfeld had managed the most important sales deal of his life, acquiring the rights for Martin Press to print six million subscription leaflets for Hearst magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping.

1923 also saw the emergence of the competitive business side of Donenfeld as he took control of Martin Press and forced his two older brothers out of the company, leaving Irving as a minority partner and head printer.

[16] Whereas Harry would promise the world to clients without understanding the economic realities, Jack was bookish and ensured bills were paid on time and helped create respectability in the firm.

With the financial backing of Paul Sampliner, Irving Donenfeld as head printer, Harry as salesman and Jack Liebowitz running the finances they launched the Independent News Company in 1932.

In 1935, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson approached Independent News in a bid to relaunch his comic book New Fun, having lost his previous backers due to poor sales and debts.

Legal actions between the creative pair and National Allied Publications for compensation would continue for decades to come, but Donenfeld allowed Liebowitz to handle this side of his empire.

[26] Harry's son Irwin Donenfeld was born in 1926,[27] and worked for the firm from 1948 to c. 1968, holding the titles of editorial director and executive vice president.