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FAMILY

Gold Coast Magazine
"All in the Family"
by Bernard McCormick

A mass of Mauses gather at Maus & Hoffman's new Boca Raton store. From left: Tom Maus, his son Tom Jr., Elizabeth Maus, Bill Maus III, Gertrude Maus (president of the company and widow of the family patriarch, William Maus), John Maus, Jane Maus Hearne and Bill Maus, Jr. Photo by Neal Bredbeck

The family has a distinction beyond its longevity in the business of providing the highest quality clothing.
If the Maus family of the Maus & Hoffman men's clothing stores does not hold the record for the number of blood relatives in a business, we'd like to know who does. There are currently eight Mauses engaged in managing its six stores in Florida. A mouse in every house, is the family slogan. Maus means mouse in German.

It began in 1940 when William Maus and Frank Hoffman opened a store on Las Olas Boulevard. They had first teamed up in Petoskey, Michigan. Eventually four members of Maus's family joined him. Bill Jr. and Tom run the Fort Lauderdale store, their brother John is in Palm Beach and their sister Jane Hearne is in Naples. William and Edward, two of Bill's sons, have managed stores in Boca Raton and Bal Harbour, and Tom's son, Tom Jr., is now in charge in the Sarasota store. That's just management. About 25 more third (and now fourth) generation sons and daughters have helped out during summer vacations and holidays.

The family has a distinction beyond its longevity in the business of providing the highest quality clothing. Its enthusiasm for Florida resulted in other Petoskey stores following it to Las Olas Boulevard for several decades, contributing to the growth and reputation of that famous shopping street.

Reprinted with permission