Upon arriving in America and not even speaking the language, Abe’s took his first job in a Coney Island deli, where he was employed as a soda jerk. During lunch breaks, he volunteered to help out behind the counter, to better observe the restaurant’s operation. He soon graduated to the coveted position of counterman. Over the next few years, he worked in a number of deli kitchens, learning the secrets of superb pastrami and other traditional Jewish delicacies.