Louis Sherry

The new establishment struggled a bit at first, but Sherry's knack for "dainty decorations" and the "novelties of service" won a following from "The Four Hundred" (late 19th century term for New York City's social elite, coined by Ward McAllister).

[3] In 1919, with the advent of Prohibition, Sherry announced the closure of his restaurant and ballroom which "for a generation [had] been the scene of some of New York's most brilliant social gatherings.

He opened a new shop at 58th Street and Fifth Avenue for this business, and announced an "alliance" with the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel that involved both his candies and catering services.

[4] Although it was not disclosed at that time, at some point ownership of Louis Sherry Inc. was significantly vested in "Boomer-duPont interests" (a reference to Lucius M. Boomer, then chairman of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and T. Coleman du Pont).

The "old" Netherland Hotel, originally built around 1892 for William Waldorf Astor, was acquired in 1924 by Frederick Brown, "an operator, [to] be remodeled into stores and apartments".