John Zuccotti, businessman, Died at 78

  Business

John Eugene Zuccotti was born on June 23, 1937, and died on November 19, 2015.

He was an Italian-American businessman active in real estate and development in New York City. He is best known as the namesake of Zuccotti Park.

John was born in 1937 to Angelo and Gemma Zuccotti.

He had one brother, Andrew. His father was an Italian immigrant to the United States who had become well-known in New York’s high society as the longtime maitre d’ of El Morocco, a nightclub frequented by the rich and famous.

John graduated in 1959 from Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree.

He earned a JD degree from Yale Law School in 1963.

In mid-November 1975, John was named first deputy mayor of the city by Mayor Abraham D. Beame.

John served in a number of governmental and civic positions including member of the New York City Planning Commission starting in 1971, of which he became chairman in 1973.

He served as assistant to the secretary of Housing and Urban Development and as chairman of the Real Estate Board of New York.

He was also a member of the boards of groups as diverse as World Trade Center Memorial Foundation and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

As a businessman, John was active in the development of New York City, as a partner in a number of real estate firms, including Olympia & York, and law firms such as Brown & Wood, Tufo & Zuccotti, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, and as the U.S. chairman of Brookfield Properties.

Politically, John was active in both Democratic and Republican politics on both the local and national levels, serving at various times on the National Republican Congressional Committee and Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

John was married to Susan Sessions Zuccotti, the author of a number of books relating to the Holocaust.

John passed away of a heart attack on November 19, 2015. Aged 78.