[1] Born to a Jewish family, Durst immigrated to the US from Gorlice, Galicia, Austria-Hungary in 1902 with three dollars to his name.
[2] He worked as a tailor in New York City and in 1912, he became a full partner in the dress manufacturer, Durst & Rubin.
[6] Thereafter, the Durst Organization continued to make selective acquisitions including: Later he shifted the focus of the company from primarily real estate management to new construction and development.
[8] As of 2012[update], the Durst Organization continues to be owned and operated by the third generation of the Durst family owning and managing more than 8.5 million square feet of Class A office space in Midtown Manhattan and over 1 million square feet of luxury residential rentals.
[3] Durst was married to Rose Friedwald; they had five children: Seymour, Roy, Alma, Edwin and David.