Plantains are a staple food in the tropical regions of the world. They tend to be firmer and lower in sugar content than a banana. They resemble a large banana. Plantains are generally consumed cooked. A plantain can be eaten when green or unripe (very starchy) or when ripe (yellow) and sweet.
Michael Levin, a Lithuanian Immigrant, begins to sell bananas off the back of a horse drawn wagon in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia. The picture here is of one of the original horse drawn wagons used by Michael Levin. This wagon is now on display in our store. It is a focal point for conversation and photo opportunities during tours of our market.
Atlantic Fruit Company supplies M. Levin with ripening rooms along Dock Street to ripen their bananas for them.
A sign hanging at M. Levin’s Banana ripening cellar door at our location on Dock Street. This is the site where Michael Levin, the founder of M. Levin & Company, Inc., first began ripening.
Leon Levin, front center, Michael Levin on the far left, in Miami on a ship carrying Bananas into the Port from Cuba and Haiti.
Members of the Levin family circa 1950. Pictured from left to right are: Martin Levin (2nd generation), Albert Levin (2nd generation), Ida Levin, Florence Segel, Ralph Levin (2nd generation) and Leon Levin (2nd generation). Martin, Albert, Ralph and Leon were the four brothers that made up the 2nd generation of Levins to work in the family business.
Michael Levin signs documents to begin the building of Levin’s Pattison Avenue location ripening facility. Others pictured from clockwise top right, Mayor Richard Dilworth, R. Stewart Rauch, Jr., president of the Food Distribution Center, Michael Levin and James H.J. Tate, president of the City Council.
This building, built in 1959, is still in use today. It houses M. Levin’s 30 banana ripening rooms and receives carlots of onions and potatoes daily using its rail car siding. At the time, the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market was directly across the street.
Workers at M. Levin’s Pattison Avenue location packing bananas in Levin wooden boxes to be sold.
Bananas hanging in one of M. Levin’s ripening rooms. In the days before bananas were shipped palletized, they used to come in as full stalks. The bananas would then have to be cut apart to be placed in boxes for sale once ripened.
Members of the 2nd and 3rd generation of Levin’s circa the late 1980s in one of M. Levin’s first pressurized banana ripening rooms at their Pattison Avenue facility. Pictured from left to right are: Martin Levin (2nd generation), David Levin (3rd generation), Michael Levin (3rd generation), Mark Levin (3rd generation), Joel Segel (3rd generation) and Leon Levin (2nd generation).
Mark Levin standing on the dock at the old Philadelphia Regional Produce Market in front of M. Levin’s store early morning before the sun came up.
This picture shows the interior of one of M. Levin’s stores in the “old market” on Galloway Street. Take note of the “famous” M. Levin mural on the wall, sadly the mural couldn’t come with Levin to their new location on Essington Avenue.
The third generation of Levins standing in front of some pallets of bananas in their newly opened Essington Avenue location. Pictured from left to right are: Michael Levin, David Levin, Mark Levin and Joel Segel.
Picture of the interior or M. Levin’s units on Essington Avenue.
A shot of one of M. Levin’s state-of-the-art ripening rooms installed inside the new Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market.
Members of the fourth generation of Levins aboard the Dole Chile container ship. The group went to check out a shipment of bananas that they were receiving in. Pictured from left to right are: Sarah D’Amario, Margie Fischman, Brenda Segel, Tracie Levin and Joe McGowan. Joe McGowan is one of M. Levin’s long-time banana plant managers and ripener.
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