They have made their marks on the global economy, and at the end of the day, they can all call Queens home.

These are the big businessmen – the millionaires and billionaires who have used creative thinking and innovative ideas to either shoot to the top of the business world or create controversy within it.

Some have made fortunes in movies, mattress sales, and real estate, while others have made it big by pushing the ethical envelope.

But the one thing they all have in common is that they all hail from New York City’s most diverse borough.

Whether they were born in Queens or spent most of their lives there, these big name business pros are all connected to the borough we call home.

‘Nap’ Barragan:
Mattress Mogul

Could there be a more fitting nickname than “Nap” for the man who revolutionized 21st century mattress sales?

Napolean Barragan is the man behind “Dial-A-Mattress,” the phone-from-home retailer first to offer consumers “convenience and comfort,” all within 24 hours or less, Barragan said.

Nap Barragan arrived in the United States from Ecuador in 1969 with his wife, and almost immediately opened a furniture retail store on Jamaica Avenue.
Then it happened.

Barragan spotted an advertisement for “Dial-A-Steak” and realized he could offer the same service to folks who need new sleeping arrangements but don’t have time to shop.

Working out of his basement with two phone lines, Barragan offered fast delivery, telephone access and absolute consumer guarantees on a wide selection of mattresses and frames. He became the founder of the 13th largest Hispanic-owned business in the country, turning his idea into a multimillion-dollar industry.

Barragan realized that no one wants to wait around for a mattress to arrive. Consequently, Dial-A-Mattress delivery is guaranteed within a two hour period or the price is knocked down by 10 percent. Consumers can arrange alternate delivery within 24 hours.
The sleep giant operates out of a Long Island City warehouse on 48th Avenue where more than 8,000 mattresses are stores and shipped all over the northeast.

Barragan chose Long Island City for the firm’s home base because “it’s a good building, the right price and the expressway is right here,” he said.

In addition to Long Island City, there are Dial-A-Mattress franchises in Boston, Washington, Baltimore and Chicago, as well as more than 65 distributors in eight national markets. The company even ships to Canada and Mexico, and is in partnership with firms in Argentina, Australia, South Africa and other undisclosed countries.

“Nap” said it’s easy to determine what the consumer wants – “It’s the same thing I want. Service, price, convenience and a guarantee. Simple enough.”

Nap’s vision continues to grow. Today, Dial-A-Mattress and its 1-800-Mattres number (leave off the last “s” for savings) continue to grow. Dial-A-Mattress services over one million customers each year.

Frank Lorenzo:
Unfriendly Skies

Francisco Lorenzo tried to fly the friendly skies in 1993, but by that time his reputation as a business bully was enough for the feds to clip his wings.

Lorenzo was born in Queens in 1940. He went to Columbia University and then received a business degree from Harvard Business School in 1963.

Lorenzo’s interest in aviation led him to take control of Texas International Airlines (TIA) in 1971 – a firm on the verge of bankruptcy.

Lorenzo expanded his business interests in 1978, when the Federal Deregulation Act allowed him to acquire Continental Airlines, New York Air, Frontier Airlines and Eastern Airlines in his bid to compete with new, non-unionized airlines.

By the mid-1980s, Lorenzo was recognized for his vicious business practices all deemed unfair to his employees. By filing for bankruptcy at several junctures, Lorenzo managed to bypass unionized labor and impose harsh working conditions on employees at his various companies.

He tumbled on his way to the “top” when Eastern Airlines collapsed in 1991, and a US Bankruptcy Court rules he was unfit to run the company.

Lorenzo walked away from the mess he’d made with a vast personal fortune. He tried to rise again by founding Friendship Airlines in 1993, but the US Department of Transportation denied him permission, causing him to crash-land.

Lorenzo’s newest flight into fame was grounded, Department of Transportation officials said, before he could wreak any more havoc.

Donald Trump:
AKA, ‘The Donald’

Who hasn’t heard of Donald Trump?

Trump Tower, Trump Park, Trump Palace, Trump Plaza, Trump World Tower and the soon-to-be-completed Trump Park Avenue – sound familiar?

They are but a few of Trump’s holdings in New York City where his signature is synonymous with prestige.

A Queens’s native, Trump is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance, and a master of “the deal.”

Trump is responsible for the exterior restoration of Grand Central Terminal and the renaissance of the Plaza Hotel of the St. Moritz (not the Ritz Carlton). He is the owner of the largest land parcel in New York City, where he is completing construction of the $5 billion Trump Plaza.

Trump recently announced plans for a joint venture in Illinois, where he is partnering with the Chicago Sun Times to build a three million square foot signature skyscraper on the banks of the Chicago River. It will be one of the biggest buildings in Chicago. The Trump Organization is one of the world’s largest operators of hotels and casinos, with three world-class casino hotels in Atlantic City.

The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, home to one of the world’s largest casinos, is one of the most luxurious casino-hotels ever built. Trump’s golden touch extends to a casino in Palm Beach, California, gold clubs in upstate New York, Los Angeles and New Jersey. And who could forget Mar-A-Lago, Trump’s private, ultra-luxury club in Palm Beach, Florida?


Trump is an accomplished author and owns broadcast rights in partnership with NBC TV for the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. He rebuilt the Wallman Skating Rink in Central Park and recently entered the world of reality television with his show “The Apprentice,” which he starred in and produced.

“The Donald” also spread his wings via the Trump Shuttle out of LaGuardia Airport. Yes, that’s quite a resume, but Trump is still a Queens “boy.” His family still lives in Jamaica Estates.

Harvey And Bob Weinstein: They Oughta Be In Pictures

Born two years apart in Queens in the 1950s, Bob and Harvey Weinstein have been praised as saviors of modern film, and accused of everything from strong-arm tactics1 to market sterilization, buying popular films simply to keep them out of the hands of competitors.
The brothers founded Miramax Films in 1979. The company name was drawn from a combination of their parents’ names, Miram and Max.

Miramax’s distribution in 1988 of the docudrama “The Thin Blue Line” grabbed headlines when the film’s true-life main character was released from prison due to the attention drawn to his circumstances by the film.

The brothers have consistently turned offbeat movies such as “Shakespeare In Love” and “The Cider House Rules” into critical commercial hits.

As Miramax grew, it acquired a reputation for trusting fledging filmmakers like Quentin Tarintino, whose “Pulp Fiction” became Hollywood legend.

Disney purchased Miramax in 1993 for $80 million. The Weinstein brothers remained with the company, releasing box office hits like “Muriel’s Wedding.” Of course, not all films released by Miramax made it at the box office, but the brothers garnered applause for their willingness to take risks and place their trust in the hands of novice filmmakers.

By the time the new millennium arrived, Miramax had successfully established itself as a driving force behind some of the most challenging and creative films to hit the box office.
Love them or leave them, the brothers Weinstein have unquestionably changed the face of modern film.

The original “corporate raider,” Carl Icahn, made his mark by buying shares of public companies against the wishes of current management.

Carl Icahn:
The Corporate Raider

His notorious business tactics gave birth to the term “corporate raider.”

Carl Icahn has made a fortune by purchasing an interest in publicly traded companies against the wishes of current management, then immediately selling off the shares. The process, known as a “hostile takeover,” led to Icahn’s hard-as-nails reputation.

But before becoming a corporate raider, Carl Ichan went to Far Rockaway High School.

He later went on to attend Princeton before becoming one of the most notorious figures in American business.

In 1985, he forced TWA in to bankruptcy after only six years in control of the company.

In 1987 he forced Texaco into bankruptcy.

The 67-year-old Ichan also made $800 million selling off Nabisco in 2000.

The Queens native has an estimated net worth of over $5 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.

Icahn rarely ever speaks in public, but when he does he isn’t shy about how he made his money.

He was quoted as saying, “Too often it’s not the most creative guys or the smartest. Instead, it’s the ones who are best at playing politics and soft-soaping their bosses.
Boards don’t like tough, abrasive guys. You learn in this business: If you want a friend, get a dog.”

Icahn is currently on the Board of Directors of XO, a telecommunications company.