Willie Hammerstein Sullivan and Percy G. Williams. Later the Keith-Albee circuit booking office gave Hammerstein a monopoly on big-time vaudeville in Times Square. Willie's father was much more interested in grand opera, and in 1906 opened the Manhattan Opera House. Revenue from the Victoria kept the opera house running. At one point Oscar Hammerstein, always short of money, moved to sell the Victoria to the Shubert family. Willie and his brother Arthur, who produced shows, blocked the attempt. In March 1913 Keith and Albee paid Oscar Hamilton a reported $225,000 to give up his monopoly. They opened the Palace Theatre at 47th
Mike Hammerstein of Michigan in 1985 and played college football for head coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1981 to 1985. As freshman in 1981, he played on the offensive line and started one game at the middle guard position. As a sophomore in 1982, Hammerstein was moved to the defense. He started one game at defensive tackle in each of the 1982 and 1983 seasons. Hammerstein emerged as a regular starter in 1984. He started all 12 games at defensive tackle for the 1984 Michigan team, while his brother Mark Hammerstein started four games on the offensive line. During