There are multiple stories about the origin of the Reuben sandwich. Arnold Reuben, the German-Jewish owner of New York's Reuben's Delicatessen. One account suggests he created the “Reuben Special” on the spot for the Broadway actress Marjorie Rambeau, one night when the cupboards were bare. Another version credits chef Alfred Scheuing, who supposedly crafted the sandwich for Reuben's son, Arnold Jr., in the 1930s.