Businessman. Co-founder of the Mr. Coffee beverage machine. The son of European-Jewish immigrants, his father died while Sam was a child leaving his mother and siblings to struggle with impoverished circumstances. This harsh experience made an indelible impression on him and shaped his earnest strives towards a highly-successful future in business. Following service with the United States Army during World War II, he attended Ohio State University and later Kent State University. Glazer began his initial venture with longtime partner Vincent G. Marotta, Sr. (a friend from high school) making detached garages followed by overhead garage doors. The pair became the first to distribute the Genie electric garage door openers. Glazer expanded his business accomplishments to land development which included shopping malls in Cleveland and other parts of the nation. He established North American Systems, Inc. and through that entity, Mr. Coffee appliances came to fruition in 1972. By the end of that decade, under the direction of Glazer’s innovative marketing strategies which included the hiring of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio to serve as a spokesman in TV commercials over a fourteen year run, Mr. Coffee accounted for more than half of the market share. The company was sold to Sunbeam in 1987 for 87 million dollars. Glazer died of complications from leukemia. (bio by: C.S.)