Minnesota Vikings' owner Zygi Wilf sued by local residents

Minnesota Vikings owner Zygmunt "Zygi" Wilf was named as a defendant in lawsuit filed in Freehold on Thursday that traces its roots back to a group of Holocaust survivors who settled in New Jersey and became know as the "refugee builders" — successful real estate developers of which Wilf's father, Joseph, was a prominent member.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Estate of Meyer Gold, alleges that Wilf, who has power of attorney for his father, cut Meyer Gold, part of a general partnership called Amchu with Joseph Wilf, out of a lucrative real estate deal in Fairfield involving 122 adult residential units.

In addition, the lawsuit says Gold — one of three original Amchu partners — was not given an opportunity to purchase or in any way participate in the purchase of the share of the third partner, Jacob Burstyn, in 1995.

""Unfortunately, Mr. Wilf thinks he can breach his duty of loyalty to his partners by diverting to himself property and opportunities that belong to his partners and not to him,'' said Ronald Riccio, the attorney representing the Gold Estate. ``He's done it before and he's doing it again.''

Meyer Gold died in 2013, has a son, Abraham Gold, who lives in Ocean Township, and daughter, Aline Shlinger, who lives in Manalapan.

It was Gold's children, co-executors of the Gold Estate, who according to the lawsuit recently uncovered evidence of the issues, which resulted in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that in 1997 Amchu sold partnership property for $1.2 million in Fairfield, with the Wilfs having been unable to provide evidence that Meyer Gold received his one-third share from the sale. In addition, Amchu entered into a 50-year ground lease in 2003 with Fairfield Woodcrest LLC, which it claims is dominated and controlled by Zygi Wilf, to develop the property.

In 2013, a Superior Court in Morris County awarded the plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by Jarwich Developments Inc. more than $100 million in total damages when it was determined that the Wilf family members had breached their fiduciary duties to their partners. Among those receiving damages in that case were Ada Reichmann and Josef Halpern, also part of the "refugee builders."

``The Wilfs can't stop anyone from filing a lawsuit as ridiculous or meritless as it might be, and this one is both,'' said Peter Harvey, the attorney representing the Wlifs. ``These children of Meyer Gold have inherited $100-million in the estate and they want more, and it's not warranted.

``There are two parcels. The first parcel of land Meyer Gold got the money from that sale and we have shown that. The second parcel, which is the one they are talking about, the family claims the dad did not know about a building on land that he owned for eighth years.

``We will show two things. First the lawsuit is barred by a statute of limitations, because he did know and he didn't care for eight years. We will also show that Meyer Gold did not want to be a partner in this project.''

Staff writer Stephen Edelson is an Asbury Park Press columnist: sedelson@gannettnj.com; Twitter: @SteveEdelsonAPP