This Benjamin Gomez, namesake of his maternal grandfather, was bornthe fourth of six children of Mattathias and Rachel Gomez. As hisparents were first cousins on the paternal side, he was descendedfrom two sons of Lewis Moses Gomez, Isaac (through his father) andBenjamin (through his mother). He could certainly claim that he wasa Gomez through and through!

Benjamin Gomez had the distinction of being perhaps the first Jewishbookseller and stationer in the United States when, in the New Yorkdirectory of 1791, he listed his shop at 32 Maiden Lane ‘near the FlyMarket,’ at the same location where his brother Isaac carried on abrokerage business. Benjamin Gomez was among the most significant NewYork booksellers of his day, advertising a wide selection of books,including (according to one advertisement) volumes ‘just importedfrom Dublin,’. His offerings focused on religious, historical, andscientific subjects, ranging from literature to anatomy. In 1792, heextended his activities to include publishing. He was mostactive in the book trade between 1792 and 1799, publishing a numberof significant volumes. In 1798, he took up the lottery trade as asideline, and after 1801 the Fortunate Lottery Office became hisprincipal occupation. When, however, it turned out that lotterieswere not as lucrative as he had hoped, he added dry goods to thebusiness as a sideline. He eventually returned to bookselling, thenworked as a grocer and a tobacconist after 1806.

In 1797, following in the family tradition, he married histwenty-six-year-old second cousin Charlotte Hendricks, a sister ofHarmon Hendricks, the celebrated earlyAmerican industrialist. They had daughters Hetty, Matilda andEmeline, along with a son, Mathias, who was killed in a duel in NewOrleans.