Duty Free Americas owners purchase another home in Bal Harbour

They own at least three other properties in Bal Harbour

122 Bal Bay Drive, Jerome and Debbie Falic (Credit: BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
122 Bal Bay Drive, Jerome and Debbie Falic (Credit: BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

The co-owners of Duty Free Americas, a chain of airport and border town stores, purchased a waterfront home in Bal Harbour for $5.5 million, adding to their collection.

Property records show the estate of Alexandra Ordoñez sold the property at 122 Bal Bay Drive. Northern Trust Bank and trustee Richard Coles, Ordoñez’s brother-in-law, sold the house.

Jerome, CEO of Duty Free Americas, and wife Debbie Falic purchased the 4,691-square-foot, five-bedroom home. It was built in 1988. The couple owns at least three other properties in Bal Harbour, including 203 and 209 Bal Bay Drive, and 194 Park Drive.

Moshe Goldshtein of Harding Realty represented the buyer and seller of 122 Bal Bay Drive.

The seller, Ordoñez, was the first woman vice president at Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, according to her obituary. She died earlier this year. Her husband, Rafael Ordoñez, who died in 2017, founded the Apollo Group.

The couple paid $1.2 million for the Bal Harbour property in 1991. The lot totals 15,344 square feet.

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In August, the waterfront home at 148 Bal Bay Drive sold for $9.3 million, and a month earlier, developer Harry Benitah sold his home at 84 Bal Bay Drive for $6.4 million. Goldshtein was involved in both deals.

Brothers Simon, Jerome and Leon Falic purchased Duty Free Americas in 2001, which has more than 180 stores, according to its website. They also own the distribution license for the Perry Ellis brand of fragrances and cosmetics, the Independent reported in 2015. The family has also made substantial political donations to Benjamin Netanyahu, Mitt Romney, Eric Cantor and Charles Schumer.

An Associated Press investigation published last year found that the Falic family had donated at least $5.6 million to settler groups in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, ultimately funding extreme far-right causes.

Leon Falic and his wife Alegre own the waterfront house at 116 Bal Bay Drive, which is next door to the property Jerome and Debbie just purchased.

Simon and Jana Falic own at least five properties in Bal Harbour, including 145 Bal Bay Drive, 176 Bal Bay Drive, 189 Bal Bay Drive, 191 Bal Bay Drive and 150 Harbour Way, records show. At 176 Bal Bay Drive, a waterfront lot, the couple are building a new home. Three of their other properties are contiguous: 189 and 191 Bal Bay Drive and 150 Harbour Way.