Unstoppable: Siggi B. Wilzig's Astonishing Journey from Auschwitz Survivor and Penniless Immigrant to Wall Street Legend

by Joshua M. Greene, Deborah E. Lipstadt (Foreword)

Unstoppable recounts the fascinating life of Siggi Wilzig, who survived the hell of Hitler and Auschwitz to become one of the biggest success stories in post-World War II American business—a true embodiment of the American Dream. At a time of national division, this testament to the triumph of the human spirit over horrific tragedy through fortitude and faith offers an inspiring message that will both resonate with readers today and offer enormous hope for a better future.

Unstoppable is the story of an American hero—a man who survived the hell of Auschwitz to become one of the most successful, mesmerizing, and outrageous personalities in postwar America. Siggi Wilzig was a force of nature: a Holocaust survivor who arrived in New York penniless and without formal education at just twenty one years old yet went on to build a $4 billion oil-and-banking empire. This is the ultimate immigrant story, an epic rags-to-riches adventure that follows Siggi from starvation on death marches to dinner at the White House—a story that starts in Auschwitz and ends with one of the most lucrative bank sales in Wall Street history. A survivor’s saga in a category of its own, Unstoppable does not dwell on tragedy, but instead celebrates Siggi’s ingenuity, hope, resolve and message: no matter how cruel or unjust the world may be, humans can overcome the past to achieve a bright future.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Holocaust, History, Business, Memoir, War

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2021

About the author

Joshua M. Greene earned his M.A. at Hofstra University, where he taught Hinduism and Holocaust history until his retirement in 2013. His books on war crimes trials and survivor testimony have been published in six languages. He has spoken at the Pentagon, the Judge Advocates College, the New York Public Library Distinguished Author series, and lectures frequently before state bar associations. In 1969, he was initiated as Yogesvara Das by HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and spent 13 years in Krishna temples, serving as director of ISKCON’s European publishing office. His books on spirituality include Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison and Gita Wisdom: An Introduction to India’s Essential Yoga Text. His most recent book is a biography of Srila Prabhupada, titled Swami in a Strange Land: How Krishna Came to the West. Greene is also a filmmaker whose Holocaust documentaries have aired on PBS, The Disney Channel, and Discovery.

Reviews

[Stacey B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update- 2nd read

5.0

I thought this book would be how an eighteen yr old survived two concentration camps. Wrong.
This book tells the story of how one man lives his second gift of life.

A hero of sorts; a man who had an exceptional drive to succeed and knew how high to jump in clearing hurdles.
Siggi Wilzig got off the ship in 1947-America- donning an extremely thick head of dark hair and a huge smile. Having no money and somewhat of an elementary school education Siggi had a generous heart, people skills, and was always told he had a great sense of humor. These attributes wouldn't show their worth until years later.
His very first job was shoveling snow for a dollar; the next - cleaning toilets in a sweatshop, both without complaints- because I'm in America, he would say. Siggi recognizes quickly in order to get better jobs he must pretend he has the knowledge; ultimately impressing his bosses by turning a profit for their small businesses. From then on; speak the language- study the job was Siggi's mantra .
Enter the late 50's and 60's ; Siggi notices many companies refusing to hire or do business with Jews. Well, "I know a little something about that problem he says, and uses his gift of persona to diffuse many of the issues. By this time, Siggi owns a reputation of outstanding ethics and business acumen. This confidence convinces him to make moves in cultivating some very difficult relationships. The deals that went solid would put him in the limelight and Siggi of course had his own set of cheerleaders.
He is now President and CEO of The Wilshire Oil Company. Not enough, Siggi thinks, I want more, and more he got.
And so it goes, Siggi became the President of a New York Stock Exchange company- a full service bank- where he tops it's assets to over 4 billion dollars.
More important, Siggi vowed three things when he touched American turf- in this particular order:
" To never go hungry again To support the Jewish people and To speak out against injustice."
When asked if he forgot his past-  "No", he said with humility "I am in Auschwitz every day" .
Siggi lived an extraordinary life that wasn't handed to him nor was it luck. Though he dined with Presidents, Heads of State, and VIP's, his loyalty was to every employee, family, and to Israel. He leaves a legacy as a Humanitarian, Activist, and Jewish Philanthropist.
He impresses me as quite a gentleman.


 

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unstoppable: Siggi B. Wilzig's Astonishing Journey from Auschwitz Survivor and Penniless Immigrant to Wall Street Legend by Joshua M. Greene is the Winner – Best of Los Angeles Award's "Best Holocaust Book - 2021" and “A must-read that hopefully will be adapted for the screen. Greene lets Wilzig’s effervescent spirit shine through, and his story will appeal to a wide variety of readers.” - Library Journal

Unstoppable is the ultimate immigrant story and an epic David-and-Goliath adventure. While American teens were socializing in ice cream parlors, Siggi was suffering beatings by Nazi hoodlums for being a Jew and was soon deported along with his family to the darkest place the world has ever known: Auschwitz. Siggi used his wits to stay alive, pretending to have trade skills the Nazis could exploit to run the camp. After two death marches and near starvation, he was liberated from camp Mauthausen and went to work for the US Army hunting Nazis, a service that earned him a visa to America. On arrival, he made three vows: to never go hungry again, to support the Jewish people, and to speak out against injustice. He earned his first dollar shoveling snow after a fierce blizzard. His next job was laboring in toxic sweatshops. From these humble beginnings, he became President, Chairman and CEO of a New York Stock Exchange-listed oil company and grew a full-service commercial bank to more than $4 billion in assets. A combination Holocaust Survivor and Rags to Riches American Dream story, Unstoppable is equal parts impressive and inspirational showing once again the magic of success in America with all the odds stacked against him.

[Michelle, The Book Critic · Rating 5 out of 5]

It always pains me whenever I find these kinds of books. And then I learn about the person. And then I realize, once again, the education system is rigged. And then I debate whether or not I should give my thoughts because my review being the first on a book is always scary. Especially when you understand that what you write can make it or break it for someone. People read reviews. And I am not the best at them, per se.

Not to mention the fact that this publishing company spent $700K in marketing and promoting this book. To get it into your hands. So you can learn about this man and learn about this world and seek out others not-as-well-known as him and change your POV in how you treat others and let others treat others.

When I first got the ARC, lemme just say that the paper was top-notch quality. Nobody was kidding around. The budget for this book is insane (and still honestly strange to me how there are zero reviews on Goodreads)!
I was in disbelief. And the smell of the paper? Divine, absolutely divine.
Everything about this ARC is great, outstandingly great, thank you very much.

Now, lemme just shut up and get to the point. YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. It is everything. Everything.

If you've never heard of Siggi Wilzig, which I'm betting most of you haven't (the education system is rigged, y'all), this is a biography about him. From Auschwitz survivor and a used-to-be-penniless immigrant into the CEO of a $4 billion oil-and-banking empire. He's met with US presidents, made tons of speeches, sued a Federal Agency, etc.

Siggi is one of the most successful people out there, from rags to riches.

Of course, he still battles with the trauma that comes from being in a concentration camp... but we see Siggi making jokes, making people laugh, finding joy, and giving others joy, even when he's down. And yes, like most people in this world, there were strict/conservative parts of him, after all, this was back in those days. Times where Siggi scared himself because he didn't want his children to marry non-Jews. Where he wanted to preserve his traditions and the memories of the Holocaust.

This is a book that everyone needs to read, regardless of who you are. A book that will open up to you, Siggi's rawness, playfulness, willingness, workfulness, powerless, powerfulness, etc. You'll get to see this entire side of him, the whole side of him, what he felt, what his ideas were, what it was like, etc.

This is a book I would recommend, especially with children barely learning anything in school nowadays. This will change their entire perspective on the Holocaust and its survivors. This will change yours too.

[Tom Barmaryam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unstoppable - An immensely Stoppable experience...

A very crass and premature attempt to resurrect the forgotten, or hitherto not well known Siggi Wilzig. This book could have been funded by the Wilzig family, or to be specific, Ivan Wilzig himself, noting the many references to him and his sinusoidal 'music' career in this immensely boring, unbalanced and repetitive work of an ode to a man whose life though inspiring, remains a cesspit of unsettled quandaries, contradictions and mysteries.

True, Siggi may have been an Auschwitz survivor. But that label doesn't give him the freedom or license to be a distinguished anti-antisemite, antichristian, antiamerican, foul-mouthed, uncouth and wall street money grabber. If you criticise Siggi, you'll end up being classified an anti-Semite too.

Iam averse to placing him alongside Anne Frank or Ellie Wiesel or even Maximilian Kolbe. It is no surprise that his fetish for competition even extended to the vicissitudes of other Auschwitz survivor accounts, an impression that is reinforced towards the end of the book where one realises that for Siggi, even his survivor account (like his bank account) has got to be a notch higher than the rest of the survivors' painful accounts. That to me, is a form of prolapsed narcissism.

Quite understandably, Siggi's abrasive personality may have led to rejection by his family which indicates that his troubling period in the hellish Auschwitz didn't make him any better as a human being or produce in him, some form of measurable goodness.

One may contrast his behaviour with Anne Frank who famously said "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart'. That is the form of goodness Iam talking about. In comparison, Siggi termed anybody who disagreed with him as a Schmuck. This and many more disconcerting details in this books leads one to believe that no matter how hard one tries to whitewash or pinkwash ones chequered life, history will always be the best judge of it all.

Anyways, an interesting personality whose interesting and poignant story fell into the wrong set of hands, which is where Iam next coming to.

Writing - (-5/5 )

The biography had excellent potential where a careful and thoughtful historian would have dissected the intricate nuances and tensions in Siggi's troubling yet loving, abrasive yet caring behaviour, an aspect which was ensconced in a generally garrulous personality.

Joshua and Deborah's overly sugary and biased account, lacks an overall balance and humane tenor in its narrative. Siggi ends up being a man beyond reproach.It is more like a fluffy CNN tribute to it's supporters.

From an overall perspective, this is an average book that one may listen to, whilst doing groceries or whilst getting one's nails done.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Free Men Who Forget Their Bitter Past Do Not Deserve A Bright Future"(p.277) Siggi B. Wilzig

This is the story of Siggi Wilzig, a Holocaust survivor who lived through concentration camps Auschwitz and Mauthausen, and who went on to build a business empire in the oil and banking world in America – after arriving in this country with $240 in his pocket. While the book starts with dark tales of the Holocaust, told in a manner where the reader truly feels they are there, “Unstoppable” is really about so many things besides the Holocaust. Siggi vows to "never go hungry," "support Jewish people," and to speak out against injustices as he carried the trauma of the Holocaust but was never stopped by it. Its also the American Dream of going from rags to riches.

A very well written and researched book that I hope will lead others to discover the extraordinary life of this man and his determination to remind us of the lessons we need to learn from the past.

[Ksenia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book - when the 1/3 that was left I was just skimming the pages.
1. I wonder who sponsored this.
2. I was expecting a story of a self-made man as the title is probably misleading - not when one achieves success after marriage that gives one more resources and networking.
3. I found it very disturbing that manipulations and all the ‘black’ sales methods are admired - e.g. shouting at a customer, telling them to withdraw money from the other banks even though it’s not convenient to them, pretending to like what the client likes to make a deal, and showing the Auschwitz tattoo to close the deal.

P.S. This is the first book I couldn’t finish

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: The biography of Siggi Wilzig, an Auschwitz Holocaust survivor who arrived in the U.S. with $240 and built a fortune in both the oil and banking industries while speaking out against the Holocaust.

His mother immediately went to the gas chamber. His father was beaten to death. In all, he lost 57 extended family members in the Holocaust. He survived by his wits, and he believes, the hand of God. This biography tells the story of Siggi Wilzig, who was not stopped by the brutalities of Auschwitz and a forced march to Mauthausen. Starvation did not stop him. He was not stopped by having only a couple of hundred dollars to his name and sweatshop labor. Nor was he stopped by the anti-Semitic character of both the oil and banking industries through which he made his fortune. He did not let the Fed stop him.

He made three vows. This biography describes how he fulfilled them. He vowed never again to starve. He vowed to raise healthy, productive Jewish children and help his people. And he vowed to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive.

When he arrived, his first job was to shovel snow in front of a Jewish store front. In the late 40’s and 1950’s he worked in sweatshops and various traveling sales jobs. He figured out how to sell anything. He started investing in stocks, including Wilshire Oil. At a party, he met Sol Diamond, another Wilshire investor, and together they hatched a plan to take over the company with Siggi as president. They eventually acquired a significant enough share to influence the board, which accepted Siggi’s proposals to turn around the company. This began the company’s meteoric rise and a subsequent purchase of an East coast electronics firm. The challenge was to find adequate cash without exorbitant loans to fund the continued growth of the oil company.

The solution that presented itself was to acquire a bank and “upstream” the profits. His chosen target was the Trust Company of New Jersey (TCNJ). It was a small but profitable bank in which Wilshire eventually acquired an 87 percent interest. Some of the most fascinating aspects of this book are the accounts of how Wilzig ran the bank. He personally courted customers alternately wooing and cudgeling them to bring all their business to him. Much was highly unconventional, and woe to the person, even a family member, who crossed him! A portrait develops of a highly driven man relentlessly pursuing success, unwilling to take no for an answer. He eventually built a bank with $100 million in assets to one with $4 billion. When the Fed tells him that Wilshire must divest of the bank, he takes them to court. Forced to divest, he develops a scheme where his daughter runs the oil company with his “advice” and he runs the bank.

This brings us to family, and particularly his three children. Sherry is most like him in business savvy, and at 23 runs the oil company. Ivan, who Siggi wants to become a lawyer for the bank, and heir apparent, wants nothing of it, but submerges his desire for a music career for twenty years in the bank. Eventually he achieves his dream with a Billboard hit and second career on Broadway, finally making his peace with his father. Third son Alan eventually takes over the bank. Naomi never breaks with Siggi, although she is distant from a man married first to his work. What all understand and struggle with is the survivor who is never truly free of Auschwitz, plagued with nightmares and traumatic memories.

Finally, Wilzig was devoted to perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust. He was the first survivor to speak to West Point Cadets. He was named to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Council during Jimmy Carter’s presidency and helped the Council work through a thicket of issues before the Museum was finally opened in 1993. He spoke forcefully against Reagan’s visit to the SS cemetery at Bitburg and Reagan’s unintended equating of the German soldiers there with the Jews who died in the Holocaust. Dying of multiple myeloma, through the special efforts of Ivan, he records testimony of his Holocaust experience.

Nothing stopped him from keeping his vows. Joshua Greene renders a complex, multi-faceted person. His genuine interest in customers, his ability to crack one liners one minute, only to launch into a tirade the next, his shrewd ability to assess a balance sheet, his love of his children and grandchildren, his loyalty to friends and employees like partner in survival Larry Martel, and his effort to utterly control their destinies, and his undying commitment to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust all combine in this man who was small of stature, with thick, coiffed hair. This is a fascinating biography of a man I’d never heard of who carried the trauma of the Holocaust but was never stopped by it. Greene’s biography also succeeds in doing what Siggi himself sought to do, keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust as the survivors pass into blessed memory.

____________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just started this book but had to review it because my father who passed away in 2014 was a Holocaust survivor and was in Buchenwald. He told the many horrors of this time in his young life. He was 16 when he was liberated and weighed 58 pounds transferred to a Red Cross facility and then brought to America NJ to recuperate. I am reviewing this early but will come back once finished. I started the book last night, it was hard to put down and get to bed but I did and I am looking forward to continuing with this necessary book today. Thank you Joshua Greene for the detailed description of the camps, so hard to. picture my sweet father in the midst of all that horror. Today would have been my dads 93rd birthday, I am reading this for him and for all the survivors and for all who were lost. Great Book!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can be said from me when this extraordinary life defies my imagination and understanding.

His words: Why did the world stand by and do nothing? Was there some kind of conspiracy of silence?” He went on to say how the allies were bombing German strategic industrial centers. Yet even though there were an access of bombs, why were they not dropped over the concentration camps that would have saved thousands of lives? He questioned if it was a strategic military decision or a form of Anti-Semitism. Emphasizing, it was very dangerous for those who underestimate the past.

My words: we live in undeniably frightening times. Heed the clear warnings!

Sent from my iPad

[Anne Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels wrong to not give this book more stars - if I could give Siggi Wilzip stars, he would get 100+ of them for his tenacity, fierceness, intelligence and often, luck. As for the writing, I could barely wrangle 2 stars - it just wasn't there.

I do think it's important to share these biographies, especially of those who were victims of the horrific crimes committed by the Germans in the Holocaust. Siggi not only survived, he thrived although the demons of Auschwitz never left him in his very successful life.

[Carolyn Hecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important book.

Important book. Riveting. Should be required reading for everyone in the world. This book will stay with me for the rest of my life.

[Fred Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have the utmost respect for Siggi's business acumen, his tenacity and spirit and what he was able to accomplish as an Auschwitz survivor, I know I would have found his personality quirks to be extremely off-putting. Loud, domineering, autocratic folks have a tendency to drive me away regardless of their personal demons. Still, I guess the combination of plus and minus personality traits is what makes us human!

I enjoyed the insight into some of his business activities and admire his execution of the basics - taking employee and client welfare into account before his own is a real plus in my opinion. His taking on of Holocaust deniers and his philanthropic activities were also interesting. A worthy read about an interesting character.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Received as an ARC from the publisher.

I’ve read a lot of Holocaust memoires, survivor testimonials, and biographies, but this exploration of the life of Siggi B. Wilzig is something else - and definitely worth a read. Wilzig is a survivor of Auschwitz, but by the time we hit chapter 5 he has been liberated and is making his way to America to begin his life anew. Like all Auschwitz survivors his experience was horrific, and important to chronicle, but Greene’s choice to refocus instead on Wilzig’s unique journey to become one of the most successful businessmen in America makes this book stand out. I honestly couldn’t care less about the realm of banking and business (especially in the U.S.), but Greene makes careful effort to ensure that Wilzig’s determined character shines through the narrative to keep us engaged in his story. From his unexpected marriage and building of his family legacy, to his tireless efforts to memorialize the Holocaust and his dedication to helping other survivors through his own success, Greene rarely gets bogged down in the minute details of Siggi’s business deals, even though they are an obviously integral feature of his success. By the time I reached the finale, I felt like I knew Siggi - maybe not entirely, as he was clearly a man with many facets of his personality - but enough that I felt it was worth reading his unique story as part of my greater understanding of the events of the Holocaust. Yes, countless individuals died, but their remembrance is carried on by the tireless individuals (Siggi among them) who fought for the memorials, told their stories of survival, and continued striving to live to ensure that Hitler’s goal of wiping out the Jewish population were defeated.

[BOOKLOVER EB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siegbert (Siggi) Wilzig was one of eight children born to Sophie and Isidore Wilzig in 1926 in Krojanke, West Prussia. Isidore made a modest living buying and selling scrap metal and pelts. From an early age, Siggi was self-confident and a student of human nature; he learned how to size people up by observing their facial expressions, manner, and gestures. Before the rise of Nazism, the Wilzigs were proud German Jews. However, in 1936, when it became clear that their lives were in danger, they fled to Berlin, where Isidore found a job and Siggi attended elementary school. The Wilzigs' hopes for a haven in the German capital were dashed, however, when the government "began restricting all aspects of Jewish public and private life."

"Unstoppable," by Joshua Greene, is a compelling and well-researched work of non-fiction, based on a variety of primary and secondary sources. It is the bittersweet biography of a courageous, street-smart, and tenacious individual who witnessed unspeakable atrocities, and endured years of malnutrition, beatings, forced labor, imprisonment in concentration camps, and death marches. Siggi emigrated to America in 1947, when he was twenty-one. Since he was blessed—or cursed—with a phenomenal memory, he was able to provide detailed oral testimony to the Shoah Foundation about his experiences at the hands of the Nazis. Siggi grew into adulthood suffering from PTSD, a condition that would affect him personally and professionally.

His post-Holocaust accomplishments are legendary. After working at a variety of menial jobs, Wilzig taught himself the basics of finance and business. Eventually, he built on his acquired knowledge and rose to manage an oil and banking empire at a time when most Jews were excluded from such positions. Siggi made multi-million-dollar deals, hired excellent staff, and earned a reputation as a workaholic and problem-solver who stood up to anti-Semites and meddlesome government regulators. He was also generous, philanthropic, and one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the United States Holocaust Museum. To Greene's credit, he does not whitewash Siggi's flaws. Wilzig could be domineering, loud, and overbearing, even towards his loved ones, and sadly, this shrewd, successful, and complex man was never able to exorcise the inner demons that haunted hm until the day he died. "Unstoppable" is a fascinating, inspiring, and sobering account of a brilliant and resourceful survivor who was proud of his triumphs but remained guilt-ridden that he lived while so many others perished.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely amazing story. If you saw this story in a movie, you would likely say that it is way too far-fetched to be true, yet it IS true. Most of Siggi B. Wilzig’s family died in the Nazi concentration camps. With very little formal education but with a lot of optimism and cleverness, he barely managed to survive his time at Auschwitz concentration camp. After the war he went to work for the U.S. Army, hunting down Nazis thereby earning a visa to the United States. He arrived in the US in 1947 with next to nothing in his pocket and through sheer perseverance and smarts, he eventually became the CEO of a NJ bank and a publicly traded oil company. In 1975 he became the first Holocaust survivor to speak at West Point about his experiences in Auschwitz and Mauthausen concentration camps. He was a workaholic, forever haunted by nightmares of his time in Auschwitz, yet determined to be successful, to support his family and the Jewish people and to speak out against injustice and antisemitism. He was also a devoted father and husband as well as a loyal friend, but he was also VERY difficult man to live with and to work for. This is truly a rags to riches story that could only happen in America.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I liked this book, but it brought a lot of uncomfortable realizations to mind. I really had mixed feelings about the main character – you know, Siggi B. Wilzig. On the one hand, he did have horrible beginning, and living through the Holocaust and concentration camp evil gave him on lot to deal with. On the other hand, although I feel horrible saying it, I wish he'd been able to get over it. In some ways, his not getting over it did good for the Jewish people, But in many ways, he was a horrible person. In our book club discussion, it was brought up that, other than the violence, he was like a mob boss: you showed loyalty to him no matter what, and he did his best to move mountains for you.
His association with the Ellie Wiesel was interesting, and it was appreciated, as was his involvement with the US Holocaust Museum.
Overall, it was well written and reminded us of the evil of the Holocaust without getting into the gore per se. He truly had full and interesting life.

[Cindy H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roundup to 3.5
Based solely on author’s writing
But Siggi’s life and triumphant spirit is an endless amount of stars

This book really resonated with me. Siegfried, (Siggi)Wilzig, a Holocaust survivor came to America penniless, yet accumulated a massive fortune from sheer resilience, persistence, determination, brains, and unceasing faith in God. For a person who lost 59 family members to the Holocaust, including his parents, siblings, a young niece & nephew and still remain a man of religious belief struck me as inspirational & motivational. Instead of focusing on all he lost and all the horrors he experienced, Siggie focused on all the positives in his life. Definitely someone we can all learn from.

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inspirational story of holocaust survivor of Siggi Wilzig as he moves to America as a penniless immigrant to America to become one of the most influential business magnates in our country. This is truly a remarkable story of a man with a passion to succeed and a drive to make sure the holocaust is never forgotten. The biography is definitely a "puff" piece as a flaws that Siggi has are brushed under the carpet and excused because of his prior terrible life experience. The book drips with bias which can be excused I guess.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In honor and memory of Holocaust survivors everywhere.

Joshua M. Greene’s latest biography “Unstoppable” is all about Siggi B. Wilzig, a man who survived two concentration camps, Nazi torture, and came to America and made a fortune all while talking about the Holocaust to anyone he encountered.

The book, subtitled “Siggi B. Wilzig’s Astonishing Journey from Auschwitz Survivor and Penniless Immigrant to Wall Street Legend” honors and remembers all those who lost their lives in the Holocaust and to the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis.

Greene’s biography follows the life of Siegbert (Siggi) Wilzig, who was born in 1926 in Krojanke, West Prussia, Germany. He was the second youngest of eight children, one of three to survive. In 1947, he arrived in America, having survived to Auschwitz and Mauthausen, with $240 in his pocket.

With tenacity, perseverance, and a good amount of chutzpa and lots of business savvy, Wilzig made his fortune. After working a number of jobs, he bluffed and earned his way by purchasing stocks, then companies.

Siggi Wilzig became president of an oil & gas company and a bank, both industries with few to no Jews. From there, he built his fortune, sometimes skirting the line of legality. Along the way, Wilzig gave generously to Jewish causes and frequently lecturing about the Holocaust. Now his children and grandchildren head philanthropic organizations and support Holocaust education and remembrance.

“Unstoppable” is both easy and hard to read. Greene’s writing style is fluid and down-to-earth, drawing in the reader. Wilzig’s life unfolds a chapter at a time. The chapters on his business practices and economics are eye-opening.

It goes without saying that books about the Holocaust are difficult for anyone to absorb. Greene, using Wilzig’s words and speeches, doesn’t sugarcoat the atrocities. Many scenes are hard to read with impossible to imagine details. This history needs to be told and to be read.

“Unstoppable” is an ode to Wilzig, to the survivors who, against all odds, went on to build lives and raise children, and to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive. This last is most important as the generation of survivors passes on. The torch is passed to their children and grandchildren, to all of us to remember, to never forget the evil that the Nazis did, and to speak up against plots to destroy nations and peoples.

Thursday & Friday April 8-9, 2021 are Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. “Unstoppable” is the perfect book to read and remember the 6 million Jews and the millions of others who lost their lives to the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities. Long may we remember.

Thanks to Insight Editions for an ARC to read and review.

[S R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true story about Siggi Wilzig’s life had numerous powerful messages.
1. Belief in G-d & Jewish continuity: Siggi survives Auschwitz where he witnessed his entire family murdered, but he still believed and credits the Almighty. He continues to not only credit the Almighty for everything in his life, but he also chose to live a traditionally Jewish life and to help Jewish life to survive. So many Holocaust survivors could not believe in G-d after the Holocaust. To have such faith after such an experience is inspirational.
2. Sharing the lessons of inhumanity and not forgetting: Despite the fact that he would have nightmares, he chose to speak about his experiences and memories from the Holocaust. I was pleased to see that he children and grandchildren picked up the torch to continue to share the lessons from such inhumanity.
3. Be yourself: Siggi wasn’t “politically correct”. He was himself. I’m sure people who have difficulties being themselves would find him obnoxious, I admired how he showed who he was to everyone; warts and all.
4. Emanating love and caring: Siggi had a big heart and was generous.
5. Overcoming obstacles in business: No doubt, Siggi was bright and very gifted. Research shows that when a person is gifted, they do not see obstacles; only opportunities. They are also perfectionists and have extreme anxiety connected to this perfectionism. The author brilliantly weaves in stories that revealed these characteristics.

The world needs now more people of character. Siggi’s story is something to emulate.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siggi Wilsig achieved astonishing success in American business following the most harrowing life-or-death struggle at Auschwitz, remarkably similar to the Auschwitz experiences of Elie Wiesel. How fitting it is that Witsig and Wiesel became friends and prime movers in establishing the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. I wish the writing had been more riveting and the business section less tedious. Still it is a biography worth reading.

[Tiberiu Alexandru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I have not heard about Siggi B. Wilzig before picking up this book. What an amazing biography, a story about resilience determination and a sprinkle of luck. Mazel Tov Mr Siggy for living the life you had at your own pace writing your own rules and inspiring many people along the road.

[Marjorie Murstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unstoppable is unbelievable!

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. Another holocaust survivor story, and so much more! I loved this biography that told of his 2-year camp survival, sailing to America, and growing two giant businesses in oil and banking. Zingy never stopped reliving his holocaust torture, and shared the story with thousands. Lest we ever forget…

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book everyone should read! Siggi was an unbelievable man! What a legacy!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unstoppable: The Unbelievable True Story: Siggi B. Wilzig’s Astonishing Journey from Auschwitz Survivor and Penniless Immigrant to Wall Street Legend is by Joshua M. Greene with a Forward by Deborah Lipstadt. This book covers a great deal of information about Siggi Wilzig’s life; but also, about the banking and investment businesses during the 50’s to 70’s. So much change was going on during that time in banking and investment businesses. It also, talks specifically about the Trust Company of New Jersey (TCNJ).
Siegbert Wilzig was born in West Prussia, Germany to Sophie Sommerfield and Isidore Wilzig on March 11, 1926. He was the second youngest of eight children. His mother had her expectations of him: “to do well in school and to keep kosher” (p.9) which he knew by the age of five. Except for the years he was under the control of the Nazis and in Auschwitz, he tried his best to meet those expectations. He was always sure of himself and studied others around him. He later put what he learned to good use. When he was sixteen, he and his family were arrested and placed on a train. Even here, he showed his character as instead of trying to join his family or even a girl he knew from a well-to-do family, he stayed with a young girl who was on her own, she had no one so he stayed with her. They were separated at Auschwitz. Fifty-nine of his family members were to die while he and two brothers survived the camps and a sister and her husband survived in America.
Siggi didn’t tell the story of his life in the camps until he was nearly 76 years old. He would mention that he was in the camps; but gave no details. When he was in America after liberation, he made himself three promises: “to never go hungry again; to marry a Jewish lady and have children to help rebuild the Jewish people; and to preserve Holocaust memory and speak up whenever he witnessed injustice.” (p7)
The book tells of his rise in America from an immigrant having $240 in his pocket when he arrived to becoming the CEO of a large oil company and CEO of one of the largest banks at that time as well as a great investor. His worth was more than $4 billion. Though he rose to the top of those companies, he never forgot those who got him there. He treated his employees very well and helped them out in times of difficulties. Once he helped you, he was loyal to you and expected the same from you. When in 1984, his employees went on strike, he was disappointed in them. He bent over backwards to help them and instead of asking for a raise, they went on strike, he felt their disloyalty like a blow.
He fought all his life. He fought for a place in school before the war, he fought for his life during his years in Auschwitz, he fought for a chance to succeed when he came to New York, he fought the Federal Government, and finally, he fought cancer and lost. He fought to stay alive and alert between August 29, 2002 and November 2002 as he gave one of the longest testimonies in the Shoah Foundation’s archive of 51,000 testimonies. Although the Shoah Foundation has stopped taking testimonies, they opened them up again to take his. Then in January, 2003, he helped celebrate his son’s forty-seventh birthday by singing to him and he died the next evening.
The book was good; but is was slow in some parts. That was totally unlike Siggi as he was on the go constantly. He had things to do, people to see, and not enough time to do it all, although he did try.

[Terri Enghofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just your run-of-the-mill Auschwitz story. Nor is Sigbert (Siggy) Wilzig your typical Auschwitz survivor.

While this biographical novel describes the unthinkable, horrific capture, torture and slaughter of thousands upon thousands of Jewish (and non-Jewish) men, women and children, the bulk of the story takes place after Siggy's liberation, entry and life in America. The title of the book is a giant spoiler alert: Auschwitz Survivor and Penniless Immigrant to WALL STREET LEGEND. How'd THAT happen?

A handful of times Siggy is quoted as saying: "I never escaped Auschwitz . . . I'm still here." Even still, his mantra remained constant after gaining his freedom: To never go hungry again, to support the Jewish people, and to speak out against injustice. By implementing the same wits, unselfishness, and relentless faith in his Almighty that got him through two years in the death camps, he managed to breathe another day, and another, and yet another, not only as a gifted business leader, but as a five-and-a-half-foot-tall shrimp in a land of giants and obstacles.

Proceed with caution. Not because of the horrendous, heart-stopping details you'll encounter within the bad-guy Nazi chapters, but because willfully choosing to read this incredible, true story of a man literally rising from the ashes will disallow you from any future moaning, groaning, whining and complaining that normally fill your day.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars!

[Lindaanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unstoppable" tells the amazing story of Siggi Wilzig, a Holocaust survivor who transformed himself from penniless immigrant with no business connections/formal education to CEO of a major bank and oil company, all through sheer grit and raw intelligence. I don't normally read memoirs of financiers and corporate takeover artists like Mr. Wilzig, as I usually find them dry and offputting. However as a history lover "Unstoppable" offered me a valuable perspective of WWII, U.S. isolationism at the time and the harsh realities of Auschwitz "life."

I particularly admire author Joshua Greene's efforts to give readers a fairly well balanced profile of his subject, i.e. Siggi's meteoric success came at the expense of certain family relationships and his management style could be seen as dictatorial and overly dramatic. Siggi wasn't perfect and was not portrayed as such, but his story is inspirational nonetheless.

In this day and age when Holocaust deniers and other haters are allowed to peddle their warped views online with impunity, it was great to read an inspirational and well researched book like "Unstoppable." Can't say it was an easy read but a valuable one nonetheless.

[Robert Kotzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Siggi back in the 60s and 70s from Adas Israel and I still tell people he got me out of the sewers of Nutley, hiring me for the TCNJ auditing team for several summers starting in 1972 during college after spending the previous summer with my town's Public Works department. I pretty much lost contact with the Wilzigs after that experience. I remember Siggi well - the number on the arm and Wilshire Oil - but the book told me how little I knew about him. It does a good job of avoiding hagiography and showing the warts too without diminishing how exceptional he was. I wish the first chapters about his youth and subsequent experience under the Nazis were required reading today. I was very surprised to see a biography of him and a little skeptical with all the advertising but I can recommend Unstoppable unconditionally.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #Goodreadsgiveaway, #JoshuaMGreene and #InsightEditions for this wonderful #Unstoppable book in exchange for my honest review.
Review: this book is a great memoir and historical non-fiction combined together. Siggi Wilzig’s drive, determination, humbleness and the persistence to help others especially the holocaust survivors is an admiration to the fullest! There are parts that I felt sad yet as the book progressed it was so genuinely inspiring. It is an amazing story about an immigrant making it on his own! Great and a must read!!! 4⭐️