Born in Lithuania, 13-year-old Morris B. Sachs came to Chicago on his own after the death of his parents. He started out as a door-to-door dry goods peddler in Chicago's Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood and later became the owner of a large clothing store, with locations in Englewood and Logan Square. As the sponsor of the popular Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour, which ran from 1934 to 1957, he became a household name. For a handful of Amateur Hour performers — including Mel Torme, Frankie Laine, and the Harmonicats — the program was a gateway to fame. But mainly it was down-home entertainment that offered regular people a moment to shine and perhaps win a prize.