Cuban was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[6][7] His father, Norton Cuban, was an automobile upholsterer[8][9][10] and Mark has described his mother, Shirley, as someone with "a different job or different career goal every other week."[11] He grew up in the affluent suburb of Mount Lebanon, in a Jewish[12] working-class family. His paternal grandfather changed the family name from "Chabenisky" to "Cuban" after his family emigrated from Russia through Ellis Island.[13][14] His maternal grandparents were also Jews who came from Romania.[15] Cuban's first step into the business world occurred at age 12, when he sold garbage bags to pay for a pair of expensive basketball shoes.[6][16] At age 16, Cuban took advantage of a Gazette strike by running newspapers from Cleveland to Pittsburgh.[17]