Stephen Muss | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 4, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 23, 2025 (aged 97) |
| Occupations | Businessman, investor, philanthropist |
| Known for | Presiding over the resurgence and redevelopment of Miami Beach, Florida |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 5 |
| Parent | Alexander Muss |
| Family | Isaac Muss (grandfather) |
Stephen Hobart Muss (August 4, 1928 – August 23, 2025) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist known for leading the resurgence and redevelopment of Miami Beach, Florida.
Early life and education
[edit]Stephen Hobart Muss was born to a Jewish family on August 4, 1928, in New York City,[1][2][3] and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.[4][5] His father, Alexander, was one of eleven children, six of them brothers who worked for their father's construction company building homes during and after the Great Depression.[1] Muss was educated at Erasmus Hall High School.[5] He worked for the family business first as a laborer and then in sales and construction supervision.[1]
Career
[edit]Muss eventually went into a partnership with his father, founding Alexander Muss & Sons and developing 30 acres of tract homes on Long Island.[1] From 1952 through 1968, they went on to develop over 20 subdivisions with about 20,000 houses in the New York City borough of Queens, in New Jersey, and on Long Island; they also built over 4,000 multifamily units.[3] In the 1950s, his family moved to Florida[1] where his father, now a multi-millionaire, built the Seacoast Towers in Miami Beach,[1] known for the distinctive MiMO architectural style, the Towers of Key Biscayne, and the Towers of Quayside.[4] In 1967, Stephen took over the Florida business, now named the Muss Organization, becoming Miami Beach's single largest landlord.[4]
In 1978, Muss bought the largest hotel in Miami-Dade County, the aging Fontainebleau Hotel), for $27 million,[4] rescuing it from bankruptcy.[1] He injected an additional $100 million into the hotel for improvements[1] and hired the Hilton company to manage it.[4] In 2005, the Muss Organization sold the Fontainebleau to Donald Soffer's Turnberry Associates[6] for $165 million.[4]
Muss was instrumental in getting Miami Beach to implement a 3% "bed" tax to rebuild the city's aging infrastructure,[4] including refurbishing and expanding its convention center.[4][7] He was the president of the Miami Beach Redevelopment Agency.[8] In 1994, he sold the Seacoast Towers for $94 million.[4]
Philanthropy
[edit]Muss was the chairman of the Alexander Muss High School in Israel and honorary chairman of the Lapid Coalition for High School Age Programs in Israel.[9][10] Muss served as Board Chair of Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach and also served on the board of the Miami Art Museum and on the Board of Governors of Haifa University.[11]
Personal life and death
[edit]Muss had three children with Carol Matelson, in a marriage that ended in divorce; he also had two children from his later marriage to Maureen Haver, who died in 1993.[5] Afterwards he married Sandra Paul, the ex-wife of his friend and CenTrust banker David L. Paul.[4] Their marriage also ended in divorce.[5] Muss was a member of Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach.[11] In later years, Muss was in a relationship with Amy Jeschawitz.[5]
Muss died at his home in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 23, 2025, at the age of 97.[5][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h South Florida Business Journal: "Born to build - Muss, Soffer progeny develop joint project : Fontainebleau II" by Stephen Van Drake March 11, 2002
- ^ We Are Many: Reflections On American Jewish History And Identity By Edward S Shapiro retrieved April 13, 2013
- ^ a b New York Times: "Perspectives: Brighton Beach; Revising (Again) a Plan for the Baths Site" By ALAN S. OSER May 17, 1992
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fool's Paradise: Players, Poseurs, and the Culture of Excess in South Beach By Steven Gaines pages 100 -110
- ^ a b c d e f Roberts, Sam (September 2, 2025). "Stephen Muss, Developer Who Helped Revive Miami Beach, Dies at 97". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ Sun-Sentinel: "Turnberry Buys Fontainebleau - $150 Million Targeted For Upgrades" by Tom Stieghorst January 21, 2005
- ^ The Miami News: "Convention Center's Name Stirs a Debate" by Merwin Sigale June 15, 1988
- ^ The Miami News: "Can't Shoot Down Steve Muss with Blanks" by Howard Kleinberg October 31, 1979
- ^ Muss, Stephen (May 15, 2012). "End The Duplication On High School Israel Programs". The New York Jewish Week. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Spotlight on new Trend: High School Programs in Israel". The Jerusalem Post. February 26, 2012. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ a b "The Main Event: Featuring Keynote Speaker Dan Senor and Entertainment by Tararam: Honoring Stephen & Sandra Muss with the Friend of Israel Humanitarian Award". Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ^ "Stephen Muss, who helped revitalize Miami Beach, has died". wplg. August 24, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.