▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Blo oming dale ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁a ▁wealth y ▁Jewish ▁family ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Ros al ind ▁( née ▁Sch iffer ) ▁and ▁Hir am ▁Blo oming dale , ▁and ▁the ▁grand son ▁of ▁L yman ▁G . ▁Blo oming dale , ▁a ▁co - found er ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁department ▁store ▁Blo oming d ales . ▁Blo oming dale ▁attended ▁Brown ▁University ▁in ▁Prov idence , ▁Rh ode ▁Island , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁football ▁team ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁D elta ▁K appa ▁E psilon ▁frat ern ity ▁( U psilon ▁chapter ). ▁ ▁Career ▁After ▁school , ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁sales man ▁at ▁Blo oming d ales ▁but ▁after ▁three ▁years ▁he ▁left ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁the atr ical ▁agent ▁where ▁he ▁represented ▁Frank ▁Sin atra ▁and ▁Jud y ▁Gar land . ▁He ▁tried ▁his ▁hand ▁at ▁producing ▁Broadway ▁shows ▁and ▁mov ies ▁but ▁was ▁not ▁very ▁successful . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁executive ▁at ▁Columbia ▁Pictures . ▁To ▁facil itate ▁the ▁need ▁of ▁his ▁wealth y ▁friends ▁who ▁liked ▁to ▁patron ize ▁New ▁York ▁city ' s ▁ups c ale ▁restaur ants ▁following ▁a ▁night ▁at ▁the ▁the ater , ▁Blo oming dale ▁launched ▁a ▁credit ▁card ▁business ▁called ▁" D ine ▁and ▁Sign " ▁that ▁meant ▁people ▁on ▁a ▁night ▁out ▁no