Attorney Martin Sack Jr. contacted Downtown Today to clarify a few points about Bernard Berney aka “Berney the Man in Green” who was mentioned in one of our recent stories.
Sack said he dined at Berney’s Restaurant many times with his parents in the 1930s and ‘40s and often ate lunch there into the 1970s before the restaurant closed. He also said the restaurant had lunchtime sandwiches named after local celebrities and “the best lemon ice box pie and chocolate layer cake anywhere.” Well-known businessmen and philanthropists, the Wolfson brothers, had a table reserved every day for lunch.
Sack also recalled Berney’s signature wardrobe which consisted of green suits, shirts, ties and hats paired with green-and-white shoes. He was often seen walking his Boston Terrier, “Peggy” and the two were featured in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not.” As for dyeing his hair green, Sack said that would have been difficult because Berney was “mostly bald.”