The Co-Op Campaign: 895 Park
895 Park Avenue, the Art Deco co-op on the southeast corner of 79th Street, isn't quite as famous as some other Park Avenue co-ops a few blocks to the south, but it easily rivals (or exceeds them) in terms of grandeur. Roughly two-thirds of the building consists of sprawling 14 and 15-room duplexes, the kind of places that have as many fireplaces as you have windows and where even secondary bedrooms have their own dressing rooms. (That still wasn't quite enough for the late socialite Nan Kempner, who lived at 895 Park for nearly five decades: She reportedly turned several of her extra bedrooms over to her clothes.) Naturally, such a palatial building throws off plenty of campaign money. Here is how some 895 Park Avenue residents have placed their bets in this year's presidential race.
Lauren and John Veronis
John Veronis is the co-founder of Veronis Suhler Stevenson, a private equity firm that primarily invests in media. His wife Lauren is a philanthropist and socialite who was active on the board of the Irvington Institute for Immunological Research. (Her daughter from a previous marriage to a brother of billionaire Nelson Peltz is Perri Peltz Ruttenberg.) Lauren and John have each given $2,300 to McCain.
Judith Eisenberg
Eisenberg's husband, Lewis M. Eisenberg, left Goldman Sachs in 1990 after an affair led to a sexual harassment lawsuit, but has rebounded since with a financial firm of his own. (Eisenberg reportedly reaped $356 million in 2007 from the sale of shares in ITC Holdings, an electricity transmission company.) Lewish is now the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, which explains why Judith Eisenberg has given $2,300 to McCain and another $2,300 to McCain Victory 2008, a group set up jointly by the McCain campaign and the Republican Party.
Joseph Kekst
A 2005 graduate of Brandeis, Joseph is a son of Gershon Kekst, the corporate publicist who last month sold his closely held firm Kekst & Co. to Publicis, the French advertising conglomerate, for an undisclosed sum that the Times speculated might be in the $150 million range. Joseph has given $4,600 to McCain.
Elizabeth Peek
Peek is a business reporter for the New York Sun and the wife of Jeffrey Peek, the chairman and CEO of chief executive of the troubled commercial finance company CIT. Notwithstanding the ethical issues with journalists making contributions to politicians, Peek has given $3,300 to McCain.
Arthur Newman
A senior partner and the co-head of the restructuring and reorganization advisory group at Steve Schwarzman's Blackstone Group, Newman has given $2,300 to McCain.
Daniel Brodsky
A scion of one of New York's most prominent real estate families—the Brodsky Organization controls 50 Manhattan buildings and more than 7,000 apartments—Dan Brodsky has given $2,300 to Obama.
Marcia Riklis
The daughter of former corporate raider Meshulam Riklis, Riklis is also the ex-wife of Elie Hirschfeld, who was co-owner of the Hotel Pennsylvania before selling out to Vornado in 1997. (Her ex-father-in-law was the late Abe Hirschfeld, who owned the Post briefly, ran for office, and plotted to have a business partner killed.) Riklis keeps a low profile (except for the press she attracted in 2005 by asking a then-record $950,000 for the summer rental of her magnificent oceanfront spread on Meadow Lane in Southampton.) She's given $2,300 to Obama.
David Silfen
A former Goldman Sachs partner, Silfen has served as a longtime advisory director at Maveron, the Seattle venture capital firm co-founded by Howard Schultz. He's also a trustee at the University of Pennsylvania. He has given $2,300 to Obama.
Marjorie and Joshua Harris
The co-founder of Apollo Managment with Leon Black, Harris is worth $2 billion according to Forbes. He has given McCain and Obama $2,300 each, plus $7,500 to McCain Victory 2008. His wife Marjorie has given $2,300 to McCain and nothing to Obama.
