The middle of the worst recession in the United States since the 1930s is probably not what most people would consider an ideal time to start an equipment rental business. But cousins Anthony and John Durante, and partner Chris Jones, didn't get where they are by following conventional wisdom. And it turned out that the middle of the recession — when equipment is available cheap and established companies are downsizing and struggling — is probably the perfect time.

If you're not from New York and you think you've heard of these guys, go back 10 years to RER's April 2000 issue or check RER's website at rermag.com/mag/equipment_kids_right/index.html. RER did a cover-story on a then-20-something group of energetic New York Italians who — if Martin Scorsese decided to make a movie about fast-moving young guys in the rental business — would be the leading actors. Ten years later at 36, Anthony and John are still the real deal, only with more maturity, experience and perspective.

The Durante cousins grew up in the business watching John's father John Sr. run Durante Equipment. Anthony's father Thomas started the business with his brother John in 1969 and after John bought out his shares a few years later, stayed in the business as a crane operator. Anthony and John, along with Anthony's brothers Steven and Tommy, grew up in the business, beginning to work there as teens and taking over management while in their early 20s. Later, after John Durante Sr. and his wife Marie sold to United Rentals in June 2000, Anthony and John worked for United for a while before moving on, while Steven worked within the industry until he started his own company Iron Age Tool this year. Tommy Durante Jr. works for one of the country's largest construction contractors.

After stints at United Rentals, during which Anthony and John did well with the national chain, the cousins felt their destiny lay in alternate ventures and they both went their own ways. Anthony started Gotham Equipment, a dealership and used equipment sales outfit, and John invested in real estate and later went to law school, eventually founding his own law firm.

But the rental bug had bitten deep and never went away.

Flash forward to 2009 and independently John and Anthony began thinking seriously about starting up an equipment rental company together again.

It wasn't the first time they had entertained the idea. They had talked about it in 2003, after Anthony started Gotham. But they didn't follow through.

“It wasn't meant to be,” says Anthony. “We wouldn't have had the location; we wouldn't have known what the hell we were doing. I had so much ego leaving United, I rushed back in, rather than just stepping back and saying, ‘What is the best thing for me to do with my business?’ And the same thing with John, we would have jumped in with so much ego.”

“We would have fallen on our faces,” says John.

In 2009 John was practicing law but longed for something more. Anthony was finding the recession ravaging the plans he had to grow Gotham Equipment. One day John was driving on the expressway towards the Whitestone Bridge and passed by what is now the headquarters of their business, and couldn't stop thinking about getting back. Independently, his cousin Anthony was thinking about enhancing his business with a move to the same location. When they discussed it, the location and business start up seemed to be a no brainer.

“It was ironic,” says John. “I was driving over the bridge and I see this property vacant and I kept thinking ‘Wow, what a great spot, what a great spot,’ and then Anthony called me up out of the blue.”

“I was thinking I can do more than what I was doing but I needed some money,” says Anthony. “John came and sat next to me for a couple of days and I was showing him what I did, and I had a respectable business. We were talking and talking and talking. And it went from theory to all of a sudden we're going to do this and two days later I was asking him ‘OK, are you going to be my partner? Is this for real?’ ”

It was June of last year. Anthony recalls: “John called me a couple of days later and he says ‘remember we talked in Connecticut in 2003?’ And he tells me it was six years later to the day when he asked if I wanted to do something together in the rental business.”

“I don't want to like you!”

So is that the whole story of the origins of Durante Rentals, born in September 2009? Not quite. There is another component to this triangle and his name — not a family member — is Chris Jones.

John got to know Jones in 2006 when the two of them were honored as being among the 40 top business people in Westchester County younger than 40 years old (Anthony won the same award this year). The two men hit it off, discovering their personal and business philosophies were strikingly complementary. Eventually they began talking about going into business together, a prospect that didn't scare Jones who had worked with about 30 start-up companies in varying capacities — helping them raise capital, developing business plans, consulting, even serving as part-time temporary chief financial officer. He had no experience in equipment rental, but was experienced in traveling the tumultuous roads necessary to start a company in the wild and competitive world of New York City business.