Guy F. Tozzoli

Guy Frederick Tozzoli (February 12, 1922, North Bergen, New Jersey – February 2, 2013, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)^[1] was director of the World Trade Department of the Port of New York Authority in the 1960s.^[2][3] As such he was the driving force behind the development of the World Trade Center. Tozzoli was also founder of the World Trade Centers Association, which directed operations and development of the World Trade Centers. Tozzoli was the driving force from New York City, while his business associates Soichiro Honda and Paul Fabry led the WTC effort in Tokyo and New Orleans respectively. Tozzoli graduated from Fordham University and later served his country as a lieutenant in World War II and the Korean War. Tozzoli was credited for hiring Minoru Yamasaki to design the World Trade Center complex which was dedicated in April, 1973. Tozzoli retired as Director of the World Trade Department for the Port Authority in 1987, but remained as the President of the World Trade Center Associations until January 2001.^[1][4]

In 2013 it was revealed that the association and Tozzoli had made millions off the "World Trade Center" name. Tozzoli owned the trademark which he bought for $10 from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and licenses its name for other world trade center buildings and also receives a licensing fees greeting cards, pens and binoculars. The terms of the licensing were not widely publicized until 2013 when North Jersey.com revealed the terms when it was announced that the Association was wanting $500,000 worth of free office space in the new One World Trade Center. The article noted that Tozzoli made $1.7 million/year plus $113,000-a-year public pension for 2009, 2010 and 2011 (the only years where the tax returns were available at the time of article.^[5]

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