Summary of Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain (Unabridged‪)‬

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In the early 1900s, Isaac Sackler, an immigrant from the Austrian empire, married Sophie Greenberg, an immigrant from Poland. They settled in Brooklyn and had Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond.
Isaac successfully operated a grocery store with his brother at 83, Montrose Avenue in Williamsburg, then moved to Flatbush after making enough money to get into real estate.
Arthur enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School. As the oldest child, his family was banking on him and his education. He was a diligent student. He also made money on the side by selling ads and writing for student magazines. He even was able to pass some of the work to his brothers.
After failing in some business endeavors, and with the beginning of the Great Depression, Isaac’s fortunes started declining. Arthur was forced to pay for his own education by working multiple jobs. Arthur ended up enrolling at New York University as a premed student.