Our Team
John Cohen
Managing Partner
Co-Founded Toro Real Estate Partners in 2015. John focus is the strategic direction of the company, formulation of investment strategy, investor development, and acquisition & dispositions. He has been investing in real estate since 2010. John’s understanding of deep value investing in the real estate space started by buying tax deeds and tax liens. Since starting in real estate he has been involved in over $250 million in various real estate transactions, spanning tax liens, rental/sale transactions in Manhattan, and his own personal investments.
John worked at Marcus & Millichap and focused on the multifamily investment sales in the Brooklyn and Queens market. When John left Marcus & Millichap it was to focus 100% of his time on the growth of his real estate investment company. John played baseball at Queens College where he graduated with a degree in Economics
Don DiRenzo
Managing Partner
Co-Founded Toro Real Estate Partners in 2015. Prior to Toro, Don was Executive Vice President at Cushman & Wakefield since 1984 (30+ years.) Initially a member of The Financial Services Group, Don was responsible for investment valuation and alternative occupancy analyses, He transitioned into the Investment Brokerage Division, participating in over $500 million of Conventional Sale, Equity Joint Venture, Participating Lease, and Acquisition, Construction, and Permanent Financing Transactions. For the past 20+ Years, Don thrived in the Office Leasing Division providing Brokerage Services for leasing with over 1 Billion square feet in transactions, resulting in recognition and ranking in the Firm’s Top 100 Brokerage Professionals nationally since 1995.
In 2013, Don formed DC Property LLC, and has acquired and sold Real Estate investments including, strip and single user shopping centers, condominium conversions, speculative residential development and multi-family properties. Don’s extensive experience across the real estate food chain, from an underwriting perspective, to boots on the ground experience, positions Toro in identifying attractive risk adjusted opportunities. Don graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Boston University’s School of Management and Finance, is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York with professional interests in the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and Parents Against Childhood Epilepsy (PACE).
Lauren Marasco
Administrative Assistant
Lauren joined our team in 2016 and brings over 10+ years in experience in office support and administrative responsibilities coming from Custom Boards Design, LTD as the Office Manager. She is responsible for a wide range of administrative and office support activities for the company to facilitate the efficient operation of the organization.
Lauren is a strong planner and problem solver who readily adapts to change and works independently or in groups to exceed expectations. She is able to juggle multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines without compromising quality. She graduated Nassau Community College in 2004 with her Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and also holds her Real Estate License in the state of New York
Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Our Goal
We look to provide high quality investment opportunities to investors that provide above market returns, while mitigating downside risk. Our investments are not correlated to any equities markets and we only select cities throughout the United States with growing economics and demographics to help force appreciation in all our assets.
Matthew Lamstein
Attorney/Advisor
As a partner in and co-chair of Lazer, Aptheker, Rosella & Yedid’s Real Estate practice group, Mr. Lamstein focuses his practice on commercial real estate with particular emphasis on acquisitions, leasing and financing transactions. Mr. Lamstein has substantial experience representing banks, insurance companies and other major financial institutions as well as owners and developers of real property in connection with complex commercial real estate transactions, including the structuring, financing, acquisition, sale and development of commercial, residential and mixed use properties throughout the United States. In addition, Mr. Lamstein is a board member of the Advancement for Commerce Industry & Technology, Inc. Mr. Lamstein drafts and reviews all legal documents pertaining to the purchase and sale of investment properties.
Andrew M, Zwerman
Managing Partner
Andrew M, Zwerman, CPA, MS, is the Partner-in-Charge of the Wagner & Zwerman division of Gettry Marcus CPA, P.C. and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Group. Andrew has been in public accounting for over 35 years and has an extensive background in all aspects of accounting, auditing, and sophisticated tax work. Mr. Zwerman works extensively with the Firm’s Real Estate clients advising both commercial and residential owners and developers on matters that may impact their businesses. Mr. Zwerman provides consultation and advisory services in the analysis, acquisition, and tax planning for real estate transactions. He positions each deal in the most taxed advantaged way for our investors at purchase and disposition, as well as keeping impeccable records during the repositioning process.
Mr. Zwerman holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Dowling College and a Master of Science in Taxation from Long Island University. He regularly speaks at national seminars and conferences and has taught income and estate tax planning courses at the college level. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Matthew E. Rappaport, Esq., LL.M.
Vice Managing Partner/Taxation and Private Clients
Matthew E. Rappaport is Vice Managing Partner of Falcon Rappaport & Berkman PLLC, and he chairs its Taxation and Private Client Groups. He concentrates his practice in Taxation as it relates to Real Estate, Closely Held Businesses, Private Equity Funds, and Trusts & Estates. He advises clients regarding tax planning, structuring, and compliance for commercial real estate projects, all stages of the business life cycle, generational wealth transfer, family business succession, and executive compensation. He also collaborates with other attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, bankers, and insurance professionals when they encounter matters requiring a threshold level of tax law expertise.
Matthew is known for his work on complex deals involving advanced tax considerations, such as Section 1031 Exchanges, the Qualified Opportunity Zone Program, Freeze Partnerships, Private Equity Mergers & Acquisitions, and Qualified Small Business Stock. He has served as a trusted advisor for prominent real estate funds, executives of multinational corporations, venture capitalists, successful startup businesses, ultra-high net worth families, and clients seeking creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems requiring tax-focused analysis.
