Maurice Gusman Explained

Maurice Gusman
Birth Date:1889
Birth Place:Russian Empire
Death Place:Miami, Florida, U.S.
Occupation:Investor, banker, real estate developer, philanthropist
Spouse:Hannah Gusman [1]

Maurice Gusman (1889April4, 1980) was a Russian Empire-born American millionaire investor and philanthropist. Gusman emigrated to the United States at the age of 14 and became a millionaire by the age of 32 as a real estate developer.

History

Born in the Russian Empire into a Jewish family,[2] Gusman immigrated to the United States at the age of 14 alone.[3] Gusman began working at the age of 13 to save money for his ticket to the United States and never had a formal education.[4] Gusman arrived in New York through Ellis Island and spent several years in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, working at a drugstore. Within three years of arrival to the United States, he opened his own store but lost it in the financial crisis of 1907. He moved to Akron, Ohio to open another store and made millions in the rubber industry [5]

Gusman became a millionaire by the age of 32. In 1947, he moved to Miami with his family and began his real estate investment and development.[6]

In 1948, Gusman purchased the Olympia Theater, renovated it and gave it to the City of Miami in 1975.[7] He donated $2.5 mln to the University of Miami for the building of the concert hall that opened on January 31, 1975 at the Frost School of Music.

Notes and References

  1. News: Voboryl. Mary. April 26, 1980. Ex-Convict Son to Inherit Gusman's Property. 145. The Miami Herald.
  2. News: April 4, 1980. Maurice Gusman, 91, of Miami; Ukraine Emigre Built a Fortune; First Job at $3 a Week. Section A, Page 23. The New York Times.
  3. News: Ralbowski. Martin. April 4, 1980. Maurice Gusman: A Long and Happy Life. 1A, 4A. The Miami News.
  4. News: Fish. Lia. July 9, 1989. History Around Us. 30. The Miami Herald.
  5. News: Voboryl. Mary. April 26, 1980. Ex-Convict Son to Inherit Gusman's Property. 145. The Miami Herald.
  6. News: April 5, 1980. Maurice Gusman Left True Treasure. 6A. The Miami Herald.
  7. Web site: 2019-12-29. Philanthropist's Heirs Sue To Get Olympia Theater Back. 2021-12-11. en-US.