 Newman was the eldest child of John B. Drake (1835–1916), a carpenter who later worked as a mechanic for the Sussex Railroad Company, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Stackhouse (1840–1908).In 1888, Drake established his company in Brooklyn as Drake Brothers, with a commercial bakery located at 1006 Wallabout Market in Brooklyn.The company's "Drake’s Cakes" sold pound cake by the slice.