Jewish Immigrant From Soviet Union And Ex-Cabbie Pays Record Price For NYC Townhouse

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New York - The Duke-Semans mansion, the last of the great mansions of Fifth Avenue, a Beaux Arts beauty built in 1901, is now in the hands of the Tamir Sapir family, who just purchased the place for $40 million.
A former New York cabbie. Sapir was one of the thousands of Jewish immigrants allowed to leave the Soviet Union in the early 70's. He was in his early 20's and driving a cab was about the best paying job he could find.
"I quickly realized I need to own the cab to make any money," he said. So he drove and saved and drove and saved, enough to buy a medallion. Then he borrowed money on medallion and opened a small electronics store. He traded products with buyers back in the Soviet Union, trading for oil contracts.