THE BLUEPRINT:
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Ted Sasso, longtime real estate leader, died Dec. 13 at age 81
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A respected executive in Long Island and New York real estate
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Played a key role in launching Cushman & Wakefield‘s first Long Island office
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Served in civic leadership roles including chair of the Hempstead Industrial Development Agency
Ted Sasso, a real estate leader and a friend to many in the business and nonprofit communities on Long Island and beyond, died on Dec. 13. He was 81.
A “warm, kind and gentle man,” Sasso will be missed, his colleagues at the Commercial Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island (CIBS) said in an email shared with members and friends. The cause of death was a heart attack.
Sasso was working on a book about New York real estate with this reporter. He shared insights about some of New York’s most iconic properties, from the World Trade Center and Rockefeller Center in Manhattan to what is now RXR Plaza in Uniondale, and more. He spoke of the relationships he built with the some of the biggest names in real estate, from developer Larry Silverstein to CBRE‘s Steve Siegel. Over the course of his long career, he dealt with the Trumps, Rechlers and Dubbs, as well as Leona Helmsley, and even Lee Radziwill (Jackie Onasis’ sister) and Walter Cronkite.
The president of Sasso Commercial Real Estate Services, Sasso served earlier at various Fortune 500 companies, including as director of real estate for Macmillan and manager of worldwide real estate for CBS. He had also served as a leasing agent for Rockefeller Center.
Sasso began his real estate career in 1963, working for Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey as a real estate representative, according to his online bio.
He first joined the Long Island Business Development Council in 1976, serving as its co-chairman, according to CIBS. By 1980, he was instrumental in launching Cushman & Wakefield’s first Long Island office, and served as its manager. He went on to found Sasso & Fitzsimons, a firm that evolved into the Edward S. Gordon Company of Long Island and ultimately CB Richard Ellis, according to CIBS.
A community leader, Sasso chaired the Hempstead Industrial Development Agency. He served as a trustee of the Incorporated Village of Brookville and served as its police commissioner, according to his bio. His civic engagement included serving as a trustee of the Henry Viscardi School, according to his bio.
A funeral wake will be planned by the Sasso family in January. No additional details were immediately available.
Adina Genn
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