Accn 998, Interviews with Jews in Utah, I. J. "Izzie" Wagner

Transcript (211 pages) of interview by Leslie Kelen with I. J. "Izzie" Wagner on August 9, 1983 for the Interviews with Jews in Utah Oral History Project.Wagner (b. 1915) talks about his family background in Russia, his visit to Russia in 1961, and his father's life as a peddler, which led to the formation of the family business, Wagner Bag Company. He also discusses various businesses in Salt Lake City during the 1920s and 1930s and the condition of the West side during the same period, Prohibition, bootlegging, Shaary Tzedick, anti-Semitism, a man named Victor Lustig who sold counterfeiting machines, and the red light district. Other topics covered include relations with the Mormon community, various peddlers in Salt Lake, the Depression, his experiences with the Marine Corp in World War II, the expansion of the family business, selling war surplus, Wagner Industrial Park, wealthy and powerful people in Salt Lake, Trolley Square, the beautification of the downtown area, religious influences, working on the zoning board, history and preservation of historical sites, the history of Salt Lake City, and Franklin D. Roosevelt