Stephen Green’s son find his fortune by cleaning Citi Field

Gary Green, the son of SL Green Realty chairman Stephen Green, chose not to follow in his father’s footsteps and amass a real estate empire. Instead, he went into building services, and for the last four years his firm has had the plum assignment of cleaning Citi Field.

“Working with the Mets for me was literally a dream come true,” Green, who is a die-hard fan with a treasure trove of memorabilia, told Crain’s. His team of 300 cleaners can spruce up the 41,800-seat stadium in 60 minutes or less, he added.

But it’s not only been about living the dream for Green. The assignment has helped him find new business opportunities, such as his acquisition of the Flying Squirrels, a Connecticut-based minor-league team which he relocated to Richmond, Va.

“Working at Citi Field gave me a taste of the operational skills you need to have to run a team,” he told Crain’s. “It helped me pursue something I love.”

SL Green is led by CEO Marc Holliday, who has been credited for turning the mid-sized landlord into New York City’s largest commercial property owner, as The Real Deal reported. [Crain’s] — Hiten Samtani