where did walter hear about the million dollar distress sale mansion
The Money Pit Through an unscrupulous realtor friend, Walter learns about a million dollar distress sale mansion on the market for a mere $200,000. He and Anna meet the owner, Estelle, who claims she must sell it quickly because her husband, Carlos, has been arrested. Her sob story and insistence at keeping the place in candlelight in order to save money "for the goddamn, bloodsucking lawyers", distracts Walter and enchants Anna, who finds it romantic. They decide to buy it, but Anna insists on putting up half of the money needed for the repairs. She turns to Max for her half by selling him back what she got in their divorce. Walter gets his half from his wealthiest client.
Henry Orenstein Orenstein survived the Holocaust with two brothers, Fred and Sam, losing his parents in 1942, a brother, Felix, and sister, Hanka, during their final days of captivity in separate concentration camps. He reached the United States aboard the USS Fletcher (DD-445), a destroyer being used to transport refugees. He joined their uncle on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Initially finding work with the Libby's canned food company, he came upon a bride doll in a department store window display for $29.95 (which he claimed would be equivalent to $200 in the early 21st century, and figured that he could make a similar doll much more affordable. He became a toymaker, and after seeing much success with these initial dolls, he earned his first million dollars and founded Topper Toys, which produced such famous toys as the Suzy Cute line of miniature dolls and the Johnny Lightning line of model cars.[4]