Small Grocery to Sprawling Empire Acquisition

“That was the world I grew up in: twentieth-century immigrant New York. My life began with learning English; making friends; playing stoopball, stickball, and Johnny-on-a-Pony on the sidewalks of West Harlem. Obeying my parents and studying hard, like a dutiful child should. Climbing through public school and Greek school and all-boys Brooklyn Tech. Learning to hustle, learning to lead, picking up side jobs along the way. Buying my first car. Getting my college diploma—*almost*. Disappointing my parents by walking away from a promising professional career. Then turning a small grocery store into a sprawling New York empire that boasted some of supermarketing’s proudest names. Discovering that I liked doing business and had a knack for it. Who knew? Expanding the business. Expanding the business some more. Meeting”

“. Getting into aviation, energy, real estate, insurance, and investments—and why stop there? Learning to count in millions, then in billions.”