James Capalino joins AJ Contracting - James F. Capalino appointed executive vice president of AJ Contracting Company Inc

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 30, 1992

James F. Capalino will join AJ Contracting Company Inc. as executive vice president and a member of the company's Executive Committee.

AJ Contracting, founded in 1917, is a construction manager and general contractor for interior construction, principally in the private sector. Capalino will join AJ after most three years as an executive vice president and principal of Capalino, LoCicero, Marino & Tan, Inc.

Capalino's name will remain as part of the firm's through the end of the year, at which time a new name for Capalino, LoCicero, Marino & Tan Inc. will be announced.

In his new position as executive vice president, Capalino will manage the company's business development functions and expand the development management capabilities of the firm. AJ Contracting employs some 250 professionals, technical personnel and tradespersons at its Manhattan company headquarters and projects throughout the Metropolitan area.

Capalino's professional background combines senior management roles in real estate development with extensive public sector experience at senior levels of New York City government. Prior to the formation of CLM&T, Capalino served as chief executive officer of Capalino & Company, Inc., a commercial real estate development and investment management concern. The company specialized in developing new leasing markets and was the marketing and leasing agent for over two million square feet at MetroTech in downtown Brooklyn. Capalino & Company, Inc. also served as development manager for third party equity investors in real estate development projects.

From 1984-87, Capalino served as executive vice president and managing director of the Edward S. Gordon Company's financial district office where he initiated over one million square feet of commercial office leases and assisted developers in launching two major Brooklyn office developments. From 1982-84, Capalino was president and CEO of Lincoln West Associates, sponsors of one of the country's largest mixed-use development projects on the former 76.5-acre Penn Yards site in Manhattan.

Capalino's government career began in 1972 when he joined he staff of then Congressman Edward I. Koch as executive assistant with responsibility for district office operations.

He left the Congressional staff in 1976 to become the full-time coordinator of Congressman Koch's successful mayoral campaign and then served as director of Transition between the Beame and Koch administrations. As one of the mayor's principal assistants, Capalino had responsibility for coordinating neighborhood services delivery. In 1979, Mayor Koch appointed Capalino as commissioner of General Services -- to this day, the youngest commissioner in the City's history. In 1985, he managed the mayor's successful re-election campaign for a third term. Mayor Koch was re-elected by the widest margin in the city's history.

Capalino holds an MA in Management and Urban Affairs from the New School for Social Research and a B.A. in Political Science cum laude from Colgate University. He is a licensed real estate broker, a member of the Real Estate Board of New York and serves on the National Policy Committee of the Urban Land Institute.