Samuel LeFrak, 85; Builder Produced Mass Housing

Samuel LeFrak, 85, who championed middle-income housing and produced more of it than any other builder in New York City for his family’s company, died Wednesday of complications from a stroke at his Manhattan home.

For 40 years, he headed the Lefrak Organization, founded in 1901. The company built 200,000 houses and apartments throughout the city.

LeFrak became known for six-story brick apartment houses that sprawled over the landscapes of Brooklyn and Queens. He was also responsible for the huge Lefrak City in Queens and other projects.

Samuel Jayson LeFrak was born in 1918 in Manhattan. Upon graduating from Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, he enrolled in the University of Maryland, wanting to become a dentist. But he finished his first building while still in college.

He began working for the family company by building Army camps and housing. He became company president in 1948, a title he held until 1975, when his son Richard became president. LeFrak retained the title of chairman.

LeFrak amassed a fortune estimated at $2.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine, which this year ranked him 137th on its list of billionaires.