apparently he got the nickname of the commodore in his days as a kid running those ferry services in new york harbor. the other guys who worked the harbor alongside him called him commodore as a way of teasing him. and it stuck. and then that kid who they mocked as the commodore grew up to amass one of the largest fortunes in american history. the kind of fortune that leaves a mark. in 1917 right next to the then-brand new grand central station opposite vand built avenue, a huge new hotel went up with thousands of rooms. it was called the commodore hotel. it was named after correspond kneel i couldn t say, the commodore vand built. had a statute of him right out front. and that hotel was one of new york s big successful shmancy centrally located famous
it was a big deal because the commodore hotel was a big landmark piece of new york real estate right next to grand central station. it also had this poetic storied connection to the great vanderbilt family. but it was a high-profile d