Sergey Kadinsky
Written Works
The Anchor Tenant: Mattone’s Impact on Queens
October 30, 2008
This profile piece was published in the Queens Tribune's special edition "The A List of Queens."
Joseph Mattone’s imprint on the landscape of Queens may not be physically evident, but economically, it helped revive commerce and create jobs in neighborhoods that were sometimes overlooked by other builders.
Born in 1931, Mattone initially practiced real estate law, and some of his early experience in real estate involved contracts with developers of housing, fast food, and service stations. In the early 1970s, he was introduced to a fellow develop-lawyer, Bruce Ratner, whose impact includes an ongoing project to bring the Nets basketball team to Brooklyn. Together, they collaborated on the Metrotech Center, which turned a declining section of downtown Brooklyn into 4 million square feet of office space that presently includes the New York City Fire Department, Chase Manhattan Bank, and National Grid (formerly KeySpan).
Following the success of the Metrotech Center, Mattone established his office in College Point. Besides the Mattone Group’s aesthetically distinctive building, Mattone’s projects often created commercial centers where there were none.
Opened in 2000, Springfield Gardens once lacked a central shopping area, and national chains also shunned the neighborhood. With Pathmark as the anchor tenant and a sizable parking lot, Mattone brought suburban-style shopping to southern Queens.
On the map, the name Jamaica Center once denoted a terminal subway station in a neighborhood known for fast food, check cashing, and cheap goods. Opened in 2004, Jamaica Center has a 90,000 square foot multiplex theater with 15 screens designed for 3,800 patrons. Mattone was chosen for the site after three earlier proposals chosen by the city fell through.
National chains such as Old Navy, Gap, and Bally’s have exceeded expectations in reviving downtown Jamaica. The multiplex was Jamaica’s first 30 years. His current local projects include the Cresthaven in Whitestone, with 112 single-family homes. Beyond Queens, the Mattone Group owns real estate in several states, including Connecticut, Georgia, Florida and Ohio. It plans to continue its expansion to other states.
In the Italian-American community, Mattone is known for his contributions to cultural events, including the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy and the Festa del Giglio in Williamsburg. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cerebral palsy of Queens. His wife Mary Ann sits on the Board of Directors at the Queens Library.
He is a father of 7, and has close to thirty grandchildren. Mattone takes much care in his family, surrounding his office with photographs of their accomplishments. He continues to practice law as well, and his firm’s name, Mattone, Mattone, Mattone, Mattone, Mattone, Megna and Todd, show his family’s strong commitment to continuing his work in law and real estate. Mattone and his wife reside in Douglaston.