Miami couple grows Turo car side gig to 63

Miami couple – Gerardo Aletti and Sofia Escarra started renting out a Nissan Infiniti in 2020 as a low-risk experiment on Turo. Six years later, their family-run operation has 63 cars, earns about $500,000 in 2025, and relies on Spanish-speaking service that spans airport pi

For a married couple in Miami, it started with a single question: if renting out a car as a side gig worked, great. If it didn’t, they could sell the vehicle.

In 2020, Gerardo Aletti and Sofia Escarra bought a Nissan Infiniti with that plan. Six years later, the experiment has turned into a full-time family business with 63 cars. Their car-renting operation, run through the car-sharing app Turo, earned the Venezuelan immigrants half a million dollars in 2025. They rent their cars exclusively on Turo and have brought in several other family members to keep the operation moving. including their son. their daughter. and their niece.

“We enjoy the job. We enjoy the interaction with the guests,” Aletti told MISRYOUM.

Their son, Fabrizio Aletti, said he never expected to work with his family. The outcome still surprised him. “I had no idea we would grow so much in so few years,” he said. “It’s been a journey for sure.”

Their story is drawing attention because it fits a familiar route for modern work—turning spare capacity into something stable—but what stands out here is the speed and the scale: from one Nissan Infiniti purchased in 2020 to a 63-car fleet. supported by a family network and built around a platform where most customers arrive through one place.

Before immigrating, Aletti worked in transportation and has always been interested in cars and mechanics. That background shaped the way he tested the business. and it also guided the decisions on which vehicles to add next. After the first rental worked out, the couple bought another, and then another. They reached 15 cars by 2023. the same year they rented a place to park and store the cars. as well as an office. By 2024, Turo had become their primary source of income.

Escarra said the family leaves the logistics of managing dozens of cars—keeping track of which cars are at the airport. at the office. or need maintenance—to the “young people.” Aletti and Escarra instead focus on the parts they believe they can run with the most judgment. including evaluating which vehicles are in demand in the markets they target. such as the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports.

Aletti said he first tested after the luxury Infiniti with smaller, fuel-efficient cars, then sedans and SUVs. “When something worked, he’d get another and has consistently reinvested in their fleet.”

Every family member has a different role. One helps track expenses and buying new cars. Another leans into marketing and customer service. Fabrizio Aletti said that while the family does some marketing on its own. the vast majority of their business comes from people finding their cars in the Turo app. “If we stopped marketing, we would still probably get a really good amount of business,” he said.

Spanish has been a central advantage as well. The couple said their Spanish helps them communicate with travelers from Latin America. who they say make up 30% of their business. That language support extends far beyond small talk. Aletti said their Spanish has helped with airport pickup instructions and restaurant recommendations.

They also connect their growth to the tourism boost tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with seven matches in Miami. Aletti said they have seen a surge in bookings in recent weeks related to the games. He pointed to another factor: Turo making Spanish available in its app earlier this year. which. he said. makes it easier for Spanish-speaking travelers to find them.

That kind of demand can make any business feel suddenly more urgent. The Alettis say they’ve had largely positive customer experiences over thousands of trips, but they don’t gloss over what can go wrong when you rent cars to strangers.

Aletti recalled one incident: he rented a Nissan Altima to two older men whom he estimated were in their 70s or 80s, and when he opened the door afterward, the car reeked of marijuana.

Even incidents like that feed the couple’s belief that the job isn’t only about vehicles. Aletti said the ability to run the business comes down to two skills: knowing about cars and knowing about people.

“You have to know how to treat people,” he said.

He has also turned other people he knows onto Turo and said he thinks it can be an “extremely profitable” business if done right. For now. the family’s operation continues to grow from the inside out—built with reinvested earnings. expanded into an office and storage space by 2023. and powered by a steady stream of renters who book through Turo.

And for Gerardo Aletti and Sofia Escarra, the original decision still carries the same logic it did in 2020: start small, test what works, and keep going when the numbers and the day-to-day customers both confirm the bet.

Turo car rental Miami business Venezuelan immigrants Gerardo Aletti Sofia Escarra Fabrizio Aletti Spanish-speaking travelers 2026 FIFA World Cup side hustle