Only in New York: The Billionaire Cabbie
There are many famous real estate developers in America, from Donald Trump to Isaac Toussie, but none has as amazing a story as that of Samir Tapir, a self-described “average schmuck” who more or less lucked into a multi-billion-dollar fortune (not to mention at least one young, tall, leggy Ukrainian blonde!) — from the seat of a taxi cab. You see, he was just another New York hack who parlayed his medallion into an electronics store that sold goods to Soviet diplomats which lead to connections that helped provide the funds for his ultimate destination as one of downtown Manhattan’s most powerful landlords.
