John F. Russo

John Russo’s family has been in Ridgewood for a century. From very poor beginnings and facing discrimination for being Italian, the Russo family has gone on to become major real estate owners in the village. Russo owns many commercial and residential properties in Ridgewood along with running his own legal practice. 

He’s also the owner of the two North Broad Street buildings (that housed Bagelicious and Mediterraneo) which burned to the ground a year ago. This is a jam-packed episode. John talks candidly about his struggle in trying to rebuild the burned-down area, the crazy antics of his father, his ideas for downtown Ridgewood post-pandemic, and what he hopes he can pass on to the next generation.