Joe Ades

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“A slice of the street action” with Joe Ades
Gentleman peeler (1934-2009)
Union Square Greenmarket
New York, September 2008

“After the break-up of his third marriage and a period of residence in Ireland, Ades followed his daughter to New York City, taking up residence in Manhattan. From 1993 onward, Ades sold $5 Swiss-made metal potato peelers. His engaging sales patter and his $1,000 Chester Barrie suits and shirts from Turnbull & Asser made him a well-known character on his regular demo circuit, which included places such as the Union Square Greenmarket. Ades never bothered with a license, meaning that he was often asked to move by the New York City Police Department. His iconoclastic pitches and lifestyle eventually brought him attention and notoriety, and he was the subject of a Vanity Fair article. Ades sold enough peelers to enjoy café society at the Pierre Hotel, on the Upper East Side, and lived with his fourth wife, Estelle Pascoe in her three-bedroom apartment on Park Avenue. Never underestimate a small amount of money gathered by hand for 60 years. Ades died on 1 February 2009, aged 74, only a day after being informed that he had been granted American citizenship.” (Joe Ades, Wikipedia)