Professional Biography: Martin N. Kroll
Early Life and Education
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Foundational Years: Raised in New York, Martin Neil Kroll served as the editor of the Tilden High School newspaper, demonstrating an early aptitude for writing, analysis, and leadership.
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Higher Education: He attended Cornell University, earning his undergraduate degree before briefly supporting his family’s ice cream business.
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Legal Training: He then pursued his legal education at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, earning his J.D. and laying the groundwork for a distinguished multi-decade career in jurisprudence.
Career Highlights and Major Achievements
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Early Practice with Louis Nizer: Martin Neil Kroll began his career working alongside the legendary trial lawyer Louis Nizer, playing a vital role in numerous high-profile and complex legal cases.
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Diverse Legal Expertise: Throughout his career, his practice spanned a wide spectrum of law, ranging from civil rights and labor law—such as representing individuals wrongfully excluded from labor unions—to corporate litigation, major family estates, and tax shelter law.
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Public Service & High-Profile Appointments:
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Served as the Village Attorney for the Village of East Hills, New York.
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Appointed in the 1970s by the court to serve as a receiver for the Chrysler Building in Manhattan during a critical era of its history.
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Long Island Practice and Community Law (1990s–2010s): Relocated his practice from New York City to Long Island, establishing a long-standing general practice in Garden City. During these decades, he became a recognized expert in charitable trust law and dedicated substantial time to community law projects.
Civic Leadership and Human Rights Advocacy
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Political and Civic Engagement: Martin Neil Kroll was heavily involved in the Nassau County Republican Party, playing an active role in local civic governance, community leadership, and political organization for many years.
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Human Rights and Soviet Jewry Advocacy: He played a pivotal, courageous role in the global movement for Soviet Jewry, working actively to secure the release and emigration of Russian "refuseniks" trapped behind the Iron Curtain under the oppressive Soviet regime's restrictions on Jewish emigration.
Philanthropy, Community Leadership, and Personal Life
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Jewish Education and Communal Leadership: A lifelong champion of Jewish education, Martin Neil Kroll served as an early President of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County, dedicating immense energy to building strong educational foundations for the next generation.
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Synagogue Building and Community Growth: Deeply devoted to the Long Island Jewish community, he was a foundational figure in the establishment and growth of both Temple Beth Sholom and the Roslyn Synagogue. He notably oversaw and successfully negotiated the relocation of the Roslyn Synagogue to its current home, helping build it into a thriving spiritual congregation, for which he was honored multiple times by his community.
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Medical Philanthropy: Served for many years as a key advisor to the Staats Foundation, overseeing vital research grants dedicated to cutaneous skin cancers.
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Family and Later Years: Martin shares a rich family life with his wife, their three children (a physician, an attorney, and a psychologist/Rabbi), and fourteen grandchildren. Now residing in Boca Raton, Florida, he spends his time writing, having authored a memoir about his life and legal career with subsequent book projects currently in progress.
Note for Historical Record: In 2009, following a decades-long, unblemished legal career dedicated to public service, community advocacy, and high-level jurisprudence, Martin encountered a dispute with a client dissatisfied with a case outcome. The disagreement centered on funds moved from an escrow account—monies that were subsequently fully reimbursed with interest. Although the matter resulted in his disbarment by the New York State Bar, Martin maintained a distinguished record of ethical community leadership, human rights activism, public appointments, and charitable work throughout his professional life. In later years, while exploring the option of reinstatement, he ultimately chose to withdraw his application due to the shifting complexities of modern legal requirements and a desire to enjoy a well-earned retirement in his eighties.