IT'S FARE-WELL!
Splitsville for taxi mogul
The meter has run out on the marriage of New York’s taxi king. Gene Freidman, one of the city’s top medallion owners, was hit with a divorce filing on Wednesday by his much younger wife — and she’s dumping him because he’s too old, according to a source.
Sandra Freidman, a stunning 24yearold who was born inMoscow and grew up in Paris, split up with Gene six weeks ago. He moved out of their threefloor town house on the Upper East Side.
The couple had been married for three years. Their split is based on their 20year age difference, said a source close to Gene.
“He’s a workaholic and she’s a 24yearold who wants to go out a lot,” the source said. The matrimonial proceeding is expected to focus on money. Freidmand owns about 900 medallions.
“His 24yearold wife, after three years of marriage, hired one of the city’s most highprofile, aggressive divorce attorneys, despite the fact that they have an ironclad prenup which guarantees her $ 5 million dollars, as she has repeatedly acknowledged,” said the taxi king’s spokesman, Ronn Torossian.
Although the couple had been fighting, Gene didn’t learn Sandra wanted a divorce until an inquiry from The Post to his lawyer. He hasn’t been served with papers yet.
“My daughter is never going to knowher parents living together,” Freidman said, according to sources. The couple has a 1 ¹ / ₂yearold daughter named Leyla. The couple first fell in love in the South of France.
Gene owns a turnofthecentury town house that he bought for $ 4.8 million on East 65th Street, between Lexington and Third avenues.
“The home’s value will hold better than his taxi medallion,” quipped a top realestate broker, referring to the industry’s struggles with newcomer Uber.
The cab boss has been having trouble lately hacking it as he battles mounds of debt, due to Uber. The smartphone app has been luring away riders and drivers.
Citibank is foreclosing on 90 of his medallions and is trying to recoup $ 31.5 million he allegedly owes in loans.
Sandra is a freelance journalist who went to Columbia and writes for a local Web site called The Uptowner. Her attorney Jad Greifer said she hoped to amicably resolve the couple’s issues.