Evening star., 1961-12-24
Cities
and People
Zeckendorf
Casts q Spell
BY ROBERT ]. LEWIS

his presence is quite an ex-
perience.
He eXudes a glow, creates
an aura, and gives the aver
age mortal approximately
the same aweSome conscious
ness of controlled power one
might receive in the imme-
diate vicinity of a giant
dynamo.
Sometimes he can be
charm itSelf-aS when he
spoke at the Statler recently
to eXtol the virtues of beauty,
Sometimes he can be
rough, and this side he has
shown by occasionally rails
ing cain in the privacy of
the offices of the Redevelop-
ment Land Agency here.
Always he understands the
leverage his personality can
exert, and this makes him
abnormally aware of his au-
dience of the moment.
To some, his smile is like
the guilelesS process of a
camellia unfolding. At other
times and to other people,
his frown is comparable to a
fearsome clap of thunder. He
is adept at charming those
he wishes to attract and to
influence, and he is sure and
certain in his techniques of
exercising others.
Those who know him tell
you he is a complex person.
ality, with highly elaborate
- even devious - methods.
Yet face to = face he seems
not at all Machiavellian, but
a sort of knight in armor
fitting with evil monsters in
behalf of civic virtue.
This is the impression he
gives to many in Washing
ton, where he has gained
control of go acres of the
most valuable land in the
Southwest urban renewal
area.
With typical magic, he has
now begun to spin off at
least part of this land in a
SAB million deal with a Brit
ish company announced last
week.
TALK OF MILLIONS = or
billions is a characteristic
gambit in any conversation
with Mr.. Zeckendorf.
He does the talking-and
the listener sits with his
mouth wide open.
Hardly a person who has
ever been in his presence can
forget the calls he gets on
the telephone-and his airy
illusions to big chunks of
money.
Such recollections about
him are as much a part of
the Zeckendorf legend as his
fondneSS for Sen-Sen, or his
addiction to gray fedora hats.
In the December issue of
the French magazine, Real
ties, Anne-Marie Dupuy re-
ports on an interview with
him.
A telephone rings.
Hello, Jack said Mr..
zeckendorf cordially. Well?
No, I need a million and a
quarter. Anybody will give
me a million. Right. E. Keep
me posted. So long. -
Then the telephone rings
again.
Hello, Frank said Mr..
Zeckendorf, as cordial as
ever. Well? Oh, I see.
Does she know it's worth
100000 a year? Make sure
she finds out. Right, that's it.
Thanks. So long"
SOME OF THE PEOPLE in
Washington's Redevelopment
Land Agency have vivid re-
collections of overhearing
Staccato Zeckendorf per-
formanceS in similar vein.
When he is me easure d
against most men, it is the
consensus that they can
hardly be said to be in his
league. His lightning wiz
ardry in manipulation, his
phenomenal memory, his
ability as an actor, and his
arcane know-how leave most
men at a disadvantage in
coping with his aims, OF
even in understanding them
One reason for this is the
bedazzlement and confusion
he creates.
Reporting on a luncheon
with Mr.. zeckendorf, Miss
Dupuy wrote:
"The lunch continued alta
rather dizzying pace. Every
two minutes the telephone
rang. Always cordial, polite
and extremely rapid, Zecken-
dorf juggled with million,