Dropping Bombs "We Came to Closing With a Suitcase Full of $1 Bills" - Soviet Immigrant Builds Real Estate Empire
Feb 18, 2026
Andrew Russo, a Jupiter-born developer and dealmaker, and Milla Russo, a Soviet-born broker who built a luxury business from nothing. They recount buying through hurricane season, staging that adds six figures, development vs sales tradeoffs, cash-play strategies, rebuilding after the crash, and running a married business with fierce client-first ethics.
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From Train Station To Six-Family Building
- Milla's family fled the Soviet Union starving in a train station before a German Jew helped them reach a Jewish organization that brought them to New York.
- Her parents later saved waitress and jeweler earnings and bought a six-family building paid in cash, even bringing dollar bills to closing.
Buying In Hurricane Season Bootstrapped Growth
- After getting licensed, Milla bought low-priced properties during hurricane season, painted and cleaned them, and flipped them for big returns.
- By season end she tripled what she'd make in a year and outsold some junior lawyers.
Crash, Rock Bottom, Then Rebuild
- During the crash Milla held 20 mortgages across 12 properties and went upside down while calling banks daily for help.
- She and Andrew hit rock bottom then rebuilt by saving cash and buying properties again.