Kami Merabi

Kami Merabi
The Person
Kami Aaron Merabi was born on January, 21st 1962 to a wealthy noble Persian family (Cohen & Merabi), in Tehran, Iran. He is the second child of three, and the second grandson of twelve. He moved to the US in 1979. He speaks with the faintest trace of his native Persian language accent. He is fluent in Farsi, and English. He also speaks some Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish. He has traveled around the world to many locations.
His interests include real estate, philanthropy, and philosophy. Hobbies include fatherhood, traveling abroad, charities, politics, history, reading, spiritual studies, Traveling, Music, and chess. Sports: Polo, Volleyball, Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, Water Polo, Horse back ridding, ping pong (table tennis). He is also an active philanthropist in causes that reach out to the local community, and he is active in local politics as well.
Family
Kami Merabi got married on September 2nd 1990 in New York City. They have three girls, heiresses to the family business. They also have three T-cup Maltise dogs that they love very much. His parents are Nasser Jacob Merabi and Mah-Monier Merabi (formerly Cohen). He has a brother, Nader Nissan Merabi, and a sister Nellie who was a CPA for the family buisness till 1994 when she got married too. His grandfather Mousa Moshe Cohen was a large influence in his life. Family is the main focal point of Kami Merabi’s life. His family has shaped his life in all aspects: business, finances, education, culture, values, and personality.
His family history reaches back over 500 years to Spain when his family fled in the wake of the Spanish inquisition (1478) because they were Jews. The family’s business history began in Persia over two hundred and fifty years ago. In 1730, Yacob Cohen opened a Persian rug business. A century and a half later, Yacob's company had become a Persian business empire. Over the next century, marriage partnerships with the Merabi families brought real estate and oil interests to the company. Wise planning and family unity saved the family business from collapse through the economic hardship of World Wars I and II. In the 1970s, the Cohen family again banded together to keep their business holdings afloat until the political and economic storms battering the Persian oil, real estate and retail industries could pass. But the revolution in Persia in 1979 marked the end of any hope for a safe business haven there. Mousa Cohen decided to transplant the family to the United States where they could conduct business freely without persecution. Sadly, most of the family's assets in Persia had been seized, with the exception of some cash holdings and solid business bonds built over many years. Mousa had to start from scratch but he was confident that he would be able to return the family business to its former glory by applying the principles and ideologies passed down from his forefathers
Mr. Merabi talks about his late grand father in an interview with the Persian editor of an Iranian daily news paper based in Los Angeles, published not long after his grand father’s death: "He was truly the greatest inspiration of my life... he was my mentor, I was his protégé. If you talk about a person with style, generous, loyalty, trust worthy and true elegance, my grand father is the one not me, but I'll tell you, there was no one like him. I am so grateful to God, because among all my cousins and my brother and sister I was the luckiest one to have known him so well, and worked with him so closely for so long ,I miss him tremendously...”
Education
Kami Merabi's education has extended from attending to Queens College ,and Touro College majoring in Business, with double B.As in Political Science, and Architectural at Rochville University - Master in Law at Belford University - Honorary Doctrine in Law at Berkley University - Studies in Religious & spiritual Laws ,Mesivtha Tiferth Jerusalem Yeshiva under direction of Rabbi Moshe Zuker (Sugar), Taking course & Seminars at the Stern (NYU) Law 6 Months - Awards: NYC businessman of the year 2003 - 2004
Philanthropist
Kami Merabi has made donations, and gave assistance to The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The American Heart Association, and local charities such as to Ramaz: a school for Jewish children from preschool to high school in the Upper East Side of Manhattan that helps to raise Jewish children in their culture and faith.
Politics
Kami Merabi is an active Republican who’s main issues are education, paving the way for future generations, and the environment. He has a keen intrest in programs that strive to end worldwide poverty, hunger, and need for water. He hopes and believes that the American Republican party can inspire world wide equality among all peoples, support basic human rights, and give all peoples a sense of security that we enjoy here in the U.S. He trusts in the party's conservative strategy and ability to hold people responsible for thier actions.
He prefers to work in the background over trying to attain political positions because of his dedication to his family, politics are more of a hobby to him at this time (2010). He has campained for New York Govenor George Pataki New York City Mayors Rudolph W. Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. He has even had buisness conversations with Giuliani.
The Business man
Kami Merabi is an American business executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He began his career in his family's real estate business at the age of 19. He is a self confident and extravagant businessman, that has made him self instantly recognizable in the real estate field. He was extremely successful in making profitable deals working with his grandfather and father for over eighteen years. Since 1998 he has been in charge of the company, he is currently President and CEO of Merabi and sons Organization (MAS Inc. & LLC), a real estate company in the premium real estate market in the United States. His father commented on his son success by stating, “...doubling the family’s assets in less than four years of being solely in charge of the company.”
After gaining the necessary business skills in real estate from his grandfather, father, and brother, in the early and mid eighties Kami together with his elder brother, went on to acquire some of the class “A” mixed use properties in New York City. With Kami's background in real estate development & investment ranging from residential to commercial, shopping centers, and also conversions made Merabi and Sons a well known company name in New York. He has extensive background in real estate management, negotiation, and deal closures in real estate, and has superb leasing negotiation skills.
Work in the family business with brokers, architect, and development at the age of 19 and a V.P. title allowed him to work with the President and the CEO Mr. Moussa M. Cohen his grandfather on most business deals especially real estate negotiations. Assisting the Senior V.P. and CFO Mr. Nasser J. Merabi, his father with financial planning on new development and apply for tax credits for the company. Assisting the V.P. and COO Mr. Nader N. Merabi, his brother in management of buildings domestically. Merabi and sons in has been in business for more than 270 years, all operations in the company are now run thought him.
Kami has big plans for Sherman Oaks, California. He plans to work with Councilman Tony Cardenas to make more programs at the local YMCA for children. To keep them off of the streets and to get them involved with team building sports. He is trying to bring the New York idea of mixed use buildings (Stores on the first floor, retail and busineses on the second floor, and appartments above those) to maximize real estate. He has already begun this process with some motels on Sepulveda Blvd.
Merabi & Sons
The Merabi & Sons Group and Merabi & Sons Organization (Merabi & Sons Inc. Merabi & Sons, LLC) manages and develops the world's finest real estate developments. MAS was founded more than 270 years ago and moved to New York in 1979. With a great portfolios of commercial, industrial, residential, retail, shopping centers ,and hotel properties throughout the United States and abroad, The MAS Group, and MAS Organization are widely regarded as one of the industry's most active development firms. Their skills and experience are enhanced by a passion for quality and a unique entrepreneurial spirit. The MAS properties are more than structures - they are a union of energy, creativity, forward thinking and collaboration.
Millennium Agency
Kami A. Merabi Is the Founder, Chairman, and heads Strategic business development of the Millennium Agency Inc. He also serves on its board of directors. He has responsibility for the strategic and operational leadership of Millennium, and is chairman of its editorial strategy board. Millennium™ Agency Inc. is the largest modeling and talent site online and it is working on being one of the top 10 agencies in the world. Everyday, the Millennium™ Agency Inc. site and database are used by modeling agencies, casting companies, editors, producers, directors, record companies, and other scouts to discover new and existing talent, in addition to their already thriving physical offices. Millennium™ Agency Inc. provides models in all the major fashion magazines including Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Flare, Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar, Elle Girl, Modern Bride, Teen Vogue and for the industry's most prestigious clients including Versace, Armani, Chanel, Gucci, D & G, Escada, Prada, Calvin Klein, Valentino, YSL, Revlon, Clairol, L’Oreal, Pantene, Reebok and many more. At Millennium™ Agency Inc. provides these agents and scouts with one-stop shopping. Their talent database includes models, of course, but also child models, actors for television, film, and theatre, singers, dancers, videographers, photographers, agents, managers, directors, filmmakers, producers, writers, makeup artists, hair stylists, athletes, animal models and actors, etc.
Other Buisness Ventures
1370 Realty Corp. President and C.E.O.
14628 Sylvan LLC. Member
232 E. 53rd St. Realty Corp. President
1319 3rd Ave. Realty Corp. President
Mohamaner Inc. President
Adena Intel Inc. President
The Supermodel
For a brief period (1979-1990) Kami Merabi was a well known Male Supermodel. Known to his family as a teeneager to be a blacksheep of the conservative Merabi family, his youthfull rebelious nature guided him to modeling. Having been discovered by the head of the female talent of one of the worlds 3 most well known agencies in the world at the time, he was repetedly asked to try modeling. In an effort to stop the persistance of this person he tried a modeling shoot. He enjoyed it so much that he made a short but successfull career of it. It led to him meeting the woman that he eventually married. In order to respect his marriege he retired from the modeling scene.
He has been seen in Squire, and Mens Health magaziens and in commercials for large companies such as Pizza Hut, American Express, and Double-Mint Gum
Awards
NYC businessman of the year 2003 - 2004 Honorary Doctrine in Law at Berkley University.

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