A Bitter 'Sweet' Family History

NPR

Published May 21, 2006 at 4:04 PM EDT

Short-order cook Ben Eisenstadt and his son Marvin invented Sweet 'N Low at a Brooklyn diner in the 1950s. The little pink packets of saccharin and dextrose were a national hit. But the booming business led to a 40-year battle over the family fortune.

In the book Sweet and Low, Eisenstadt's grandson, Rich Cohen, tells the family story from a special vantage point. Cohen's mother and all of her children were disinherited by Eisenstadt's wife, Betty.

Debbie Elliott talks with Cohen about why artificial sweetener was such a success, his family's reaction to the memoir and the lingering bitterness.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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