Victor Elmaleh

Victor Elmaleh
Born	November 27, 1918 Mogador, now Essaouira, Morocco
Died
Alma mater	Brooklyn College University of Virginia
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Real estate developer, painter, national handball and squash champion
Home town	Bensonhurst and Borough Park, Brooklyn, New York
Spouse(s)	Sono Osato (m. 1943–2014)

Victor Elmaleh (pronounced el-MAHL-ay; November 27, 1918 – November 17, 2014) was a Moroccan-born American businessman and real estate developer. He was born in Mogador, now Essaouira, Morocco, the oldest of six brothers. He was among the first to import Volkswagens to the United States.

Early life

Victor Elmaleh was Jewish, and was born in Mogador, now Essaouira, Morocco. He was the eldest of six brothers. His surname was an Arabic-Moroccan name that his Sephardic Jewish forebears had adopted after running away from the Spanish Inquisition to Morocco.

He came to the United States in 1925, and grew up in Bensonhurst and Borough Park in Brooklyn. He attended P.S. 48, and later majored in music at Brooklyn College. He then attended the University of Virginia.

He won the one-wall handball national doubles championship in 1951. At 49, he and Victor Niederhoffer won the national doubles championship. He continued to play squash and win tournaments at an advanced age. He enjoyed watercolor painting, creating 4,000 in his lifetime, some of which were exhibited in galleries.