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PR Giant Howard Rubenstein Passes Away, Age 88

Howard J. Rubenstein, founder of the Rubenstein public relations agency, died Dec. 29 at his home in Manhattan. The influential publicist, who also co-founded the Association for a Better New York, was 88.

Brooklyn-born Rubenstein launched the firm as Rubenstein Associates in 1954. Its client list grew to include the New York Yankees and the pre-politics Donald Trump along with many of the city’s leading real estate owners and developers.

“Clients counted on Rubenstein to make the impossible happen,” Steve Cuozzo wrote in the New York Post. “He helped forge the alliance of politicians, Wall Street moguls and labor union leaders that famously saved the city from bankruptcy in the 1970s. He was even instrumental in creating the ‘new’ Times Square.”

In a statement posted to the Rubenstein website, company president Steven Rubenstein says, “My father loved his family, his work, this agency, our city, and of course, the New York Yankees. While I loved so much about him, what made him truly special was how he embraced the world with vigor, confidence, and optimism for what lay ahead.

“No matter how challenging the circumstances, his commitment to his family, the people he worked with, the tumult of the job, being part of a big story, and being part of helping our city were always on full display.”

He is survived by his wife Amy Forman, sons Steven and Richard, and daughter Roni, along with seven grandchildren. Donations in Rubenstein’s memory may be made to The UJA Federation of NY (earmarked for food insecurity), Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, and the Inner City Scholarship Fund.

 

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Paul Bubny

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

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