Stephen Jemal’s PASHA

The Inspiration Behind PASHA  – A Symbol of Hope for Working-Class Americans 

Having lived in Brooklyn his entire life, Stephen Jemal had a distinct idea about life and living in New York. He knew the difference between the social class that lived in Manhattan, the heart of the city, and those who lived far out in Staten Island. 

The gap between the two classes had always displeased Stephen, and so he took it upon himself to bridge it. Stephen Jemal with his JemRock Organization, worked tenaciously and diligently with their newest project. PASHA, as it is called, is a way to make luxury properties in central Manhattan more reasonably priced for the working class, not just the multi-millionaires and billionaires.

A Closer Look at the Jemal Family and Their Moving Journey

New York is the city where dreams are made of, and for Stephen and his four sons, Norman, Solomon, Richard & James, that was precisely the case. Stephen was born and raised in Brooklyn, working tirelessly to achieve success. Even as a child, people were surprised by the qualities he possessed. His hard work and code of conduct were unmatched, and at the young age of 10, he was a disciple of his great father Norman Nessim Jemal, who schooled him in every aspect of life and business, a man he passionately describes. By the age of 14, he was already overseeing his father's business and helping it expand.  

Norman N. Jemal, Stephen's father, owned a discount store in Spanish Harlem. He guided his son on the dos and don'ts of running a store, and before long, Stephen had joined his father. With his help, guidance, and direction, Stephen surpassed his peers in the art of business. 

Stephen didn't believe in wasting his youth studying when he already possessed the talent to make his dreams come true. His teacher, as he explains, was his father, period. By the time he was 16, he had expanded from one electronics shop to three in the same area. Even at such a young age, he knew what to do to climb the summit.

By 1976, Stephen Jemal had leveraged his talent to further expand his business. “The Wiz,” also known as “Nobody Beats The Wiz,” was his electronics retail store chain, which he expanded from downtown Brooklyn to New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. He established more than 100 stores spread across six states, with the retail business earning over $2 billion at its peak.

Stephen Jemal had made a name for himself, and Nobody Beats The Wiz was the hot topic in every town. Every single person, from those residing in Spanish Harlem to the soaring socialites and elites in Manhattan, knew the Jemal name and The Wiz brand. Riding on this popularity, after the sale of The Wiz in 1997, Stephen decided to push himself even further and transitioned into the real estate development industry. 

Having already gained extensive experience in personally building and running his chain of retail stores, the transition was almost effortless for him. Stephen was able to establish his construction company headquarters in what seemed like no time at all. His first-ever project as a real estate builder was a retail shopping center, which featured The Wiz as the anchor tenant. What set his start-up apart was Stephen's involvement in it. Everything, from planning to final execution, was done after he gave the go-ahead. 

In 1997, to everyone's surprise, Stephen sold his electronics business and began working on his real estate development business full-time. He laid the groundwork for SSJ Development, his new company, and took up the Southpoint Waterfront Project on Roosevelt Island. This inspired him to create “The Riviera,” a trademarked brand that exclusively builds properties along the waterfront. Since its establishment, Stephen has worked on myriad projects around New York's harbor, including in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and even New Jersey. Stephen Jemal is a pioneer in waterfront property development and ultimately took it upon himself to advance it.

Stephen's sons all have the same thirst for success and desire to build up the JemRock Brand. Stephen Jemal, with the help of his four sons built a world-class organization, which together  played a vital role in helping put together Stephen’s vision for PASHA. The collaboration between Jemal and his sons with the JemRock Organization  will revolutionize the New York real estate industry.