Despite the disappointment of his poor reception, Bernhard was seduced by New York City. He decided to stay on for another six months, which turned into a permanent residency, leaving behind him to forsake his adopted Berlin, flourishing studio, and loving family. In 1932, Bernhard's wife and sons, Karl and Manfred, came to New York from Germany (his daughter, Ruth, from a previous marriage, was already in the United States) and though they did not live with their father, they worked with him as assistants at the studio.