MANAGEMENT Who's NEWS PERSONNEL

Real Estate Weekly, Dec 29, 1999

Abe Hirschfeld (photo), the Polish-born real estate tycoon who made his fortune in New York City parking garages and real estate, including the Vertical Club, one of the City's earliest health clubs, has been selected among 10 prominent individuals to the Immigrants Hall of Fame, a cyberspace museum dedicated to famous first generation immigrants who have made important contributions to the United States.

The other inductees include Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, home run slugger Sammy Sosa, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton; Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, Olympic skater Sonja Henie, composer Victor Herbert, John Philip Holland, inventor of the first modern submarine, writer Carlos Castaneda, and Nobel physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar.

Hirschfeld, who ran twice for the U.S. Senate and once owned the New York Post, parlayed his fortune as a builder into other business endeavors, from theatrical productions such as "Love Thy Neighbor," starring comedian Jackie Mason, to a variety of inventions. Hirschfeld has built 40 open air garages in New York.

John Gallin & Son, Inc., a family-owned and operated general contracting firm founded in 1886, announces the promotion of Mark Varian (photo) to the post of President, effective January 1, 2000. Varian, a member of the Gallin family, takes over from John Gallin, who has headed the company since 1986.

"John Gallin & Son, Inc., has been a successful family-owned business in NYC for 114 years," said Varian. "It is my job to build on that success as we enter the new millennium. The strategy is to maintain our reputation for service and integrity as we move on to newer, greater challenges."

Varian joined John Gallin & Son in 1983 as an assistant superintendent, working his way up to the position of Vice President of Estimating. During his tenure, Varian has developed an in-depth knowledge of the estimating portion of each project, as well as a strong ability to break down large scopes of work into pricing packages.

As president, his responsibilities will in dude client development and oversight of all company projects. John Gallin, a 40-year veteran of the company, will serve as chairman of the board.

Larry Ellberger (photo) of Livingston, NJ has joined Kushner Companies of Florham Park, NJ, as CEO, announced Charles Kushner, owner. Ellberger has more than 30 years-of experience in business and financial management, strategic planning, and acquisitions. He will work with Kushner and the company's other key executives, including Richard Stadtmauer and Jeffrey Freireich, managing directors, and Nick Minoia, president of Westminster Communities.

Previously, Ellberger was CFO of W.R. Grace & Co. in Boca Raton, FL, where he also served as acting CEO for several months. He managed approximately $13 billion in transactions for Grace. In addition, he was "principal liaison with the investment banking community.

Prior to his accomplishments at Grace, Ellberger was corporate vice president of planning and development at American Cyanamid Company in Wayne, NJ.

Ellberger has a BA in economics and a BS in chemical engineering from Columbia University in New York. He is a Board director of PowderJect PLC in the U.K., one of the largest biotech companies in Europe. He is also a member of the boards of several institutions, including the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, NJ.

Ellberger considered a number of potential business opportunities since he decided to leave Grace and move back to New Jersey. He chose Kushner because he was attracted by the challenge of the vibrant real estate industry and the combination of vision, ethics, drive and commitment within the Kushner organization.

Residents of the same community, Ellberger and Kushner have known each other for many years. Ellberger said he was particularly drawn by Kushner's support of civic and industry organizations. "Charlie is an outstanding businessman, but he is also an individual who is motivated by more than money," Ellberger noted. "His generous involvement and genuine concern in charitable causes are exemplary, and it's gratifying to know that I can be part of that effort."

After a year-long run with Brown Harris Stevens, top producing broker Richard Bernstein (photo) has returned to his former firm, Bellmarc Realty, to partner with Dan Barry. Barry and Bernstein are based in Bellmarc's Lincoln Center office at 1776 Broadway. The announcement was made by Marc Broxmeyer, principal of Bellmarc.

"At a time when the market is at an all time high, we're seeing a definite trend for brokers to team up," said Broxmeyer. "Currently within Bellmarc, we have at least five formal working partnerships, the majority of whom are based in our Lincoln Center office."

According to Bernstein, "If you have the right partner, and your strength and weaknesses compliment one another, you're in a position to deliver exemplary service to clients. For instance, one of us can be in the office making phone calls to arrange a mortgage for the client, while the other is viewing potential properties."