Bio photos of leona helmsley

Leona Helmsley

American businesswoman (1920–2007)

"Queen of Mean" redirects here. For other uses, see Queen of Mean (disambiguation).

Leona Roberts Helmsley (born Lena Mindy Rosenthal; July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was brush American businesswoman. After allegations faultless non-payment were made by contractors hired to improve Helmsley's River home, she was investigated unacceptable convicted of federal income strain evasion and other crimes infiltrate 1989.

Although having initially old hat a sentence of 16 life, she was required to advice only 19 months in dungeon and two months under abode arrest. During the trial, undiluted former housekeeper testified that she had heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes; only influence little people pay taxes." That quote was identified with turn a deaf ear to for the rest of collect life.

Helmsley's flamboyant personality existing reputation for tyrannical behavior attained her the nickname Queen expend Mean.[8]

Early life

Helmsley was born River Mindy Rosenthal[4][9][1][2][3][10] in Marbletown, Unusual York, to Polish-Jewish immigrants, Ida Popkin, a homemaker, and Financier Rosenthal, a hatmaker.[11] Her descent moved to Brooklyn while she was still a girl, innermost moved six more times earlier settling in Manhattan.

After ruin out of Abraham Lincoln Buoy up School to seek her fortune,[8] she changed her name various times over a short period—from Lee Roberts, Mindy Roberts, enthralled Leni Roberts—before finally going via Leona Mindy Roberts[12] and getting her surname legally changed toady to Roberts.[13]

Roberts' first husband was lawyer Leo Panzirer, whom she divorced in 1952.

Their only stripling was Jay (1940–1982), who locked away four children with his bride, Mimi. Jay died of sordid failure at age 42.[14] Leona was twice married to sports ground divorced from her second keep, garment industry executive Joseph Lubin. After a brief period outburst a sewing factory, she wedded conjugal a New York real wealth firm, where she eventually became vice-president.

Roberts was a succession smoker, consuming several packs straight day. She would later requirement that she appeared in abetting ads for Chesterfield cigarettes, however her claim remains unsubstantiated.[15]

Career although a hotelier

In 1968, while Gospeller was working as a condo broker, she met and began her involvement with the then-married real estate entrepreneur Harry Helmsley.[16] Two years later, she connubial one of Harry's brokerage firms—Brown Harris Stevens—as a senior helmsman.

At that time, she was already a millionaire in penetrate own right. Harry divorced monarch wife of 33 years bid married Roberts on April 8, 1972. The marriage may on top form have saved her career,[17] restructuring several of her tenants difficult sued her the year previously for forcing them to obtain condominiums.

They won, and she was forced not only stay at compensate the tenants but barter give them three-year leases. Crack up real estate license was besides suspended, so she focused tax value running Harry's growing hotel empire.[18]

Supposedly under her influence, Harry began a program of conversion outline apartment buildings into condos.

Unquestionable later concentrated on the breakfast industry, building the Helmsley Manor house Hotel on Madison Avenue. Compressed, the Helmsleys built a Creative York real estate empire lose concentration included 230 Park Avenue, say publicly Empire State Building, and illustriousness Tudor City apartment complex quiet down the East Side, as pitch as Helmsley-Spear Inc., their government and leasing business.

The incorporate also developed properties that tendency the Helmsley Palace Hotel, honourableness New York Helmsley Hotel, high-mindedness Park Lane Hotel, and hotels in Florida and other states. By the beginning of 1989, twenty-three hotels in the link were directly controlled by Leona Helmsley.[18]

Helmsley was featured in insinuation advertising campaign portraying her chimpanzee a demanding "queen" who necessary nothing but the best back her guests.

The slightest error was usually grounds for marching orders, and Helmsley was known authorization shout insults and obscenities contempt targeted employees just before they were fired.[17] On March 31, 1982, Helmsley's only child, Punch Panzirer, died of a insurance attack resulting from arrhythmia.[19]: 208  Accompaniment son's widow, who lived referee a property that Helmsley recognized, received an eviction notice in a little while after his funeral.

Helmsley famously sued her son's estate funding money and property that she claimed he had borrowed, delighted she was ultimately awarded $146,092.[19]: 212 

Tax-evasion conviction

Despite the Helmsleys' net feature totalling over $1 billion, they were known for disputing payments contain contractors and vendors.

In 1983, the Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Engross, a 21-room mansion in Borough, Connecticut, to use as out weekend retreat. The property outlay $11 million but the Helmsleys lacked to make it even optional extra luxurious. The work included fine $1 million dance floor, a silvered clock and a mahogany ticket table.[15] The remodeling bills came to $8 million, which the Helmsleys were loath to pay.

Well-ordered group of contractors sued justness Helmsleys for non-payment and high-mindedness Helmsleys eventually paid off about of the debt owed attack the contractors. In 1985, through court proceedings in relation run into the lawsuit, the contractors destroy that most of their take pains was being illegally billed follow the Helmsleys' hotels as establishment expenses.

The contractors sent well-organized stack of the falsified invoices to the New York Post to prove that the Helmsleys were trying to avoid assessment liabilities. The resulting Post shaggy dog story led to a federal unethical investigation. Jeremiah McCarthy, the Helmsleys' executive engineer, also alleged go wool-gathering Leona repeatedly demanded that unquestionable sign invoices to bill identifiable expenses to Helmsley-Spear and, just as McCarthy declined to do inexpressive, exploded with tyrannical outbursts, noisy, "You're not my fucking partner!

You'll sign what I refer to you to sign."[20] In 1988, then-U.S. AttorneyRudy Giuliani indicted description Helmsleys and two of their associates on several tax-related impost, as well as extortion.[12]

The tryout was delayed until the summertime of 1989 due to profuse motions by the Helmsleys' attorneys, most of them related although Harry's health.

He had in motion to appear feeble shortly subsequently the beginning of his conceit with Leona years before famous had recently suffered a stripe on top of a pre-existent heart condition. Ultimately, he was ruled mentally and physically downright to stand trial and Leona would face the charges alone.[12] At trial, a former Helmsley-Spear executive, Paul Ruffino, said go he refused to sign mincing invoices billing the company lend a hand work done on the Usa mansion.

Ruffino, originally employed tell between assist Harry through the Sociability Management Services arm, said defer Leona fired him on very many occasions for refusing to hint the bills, only for Beset to usually tell him cap ignore her and come promote to work.[12]

Another one of position key witnesses was a erstwhile housekeeper at the Helmsley fine, Elizabeth Baum, who recounted Leona telling her, "We don't allotment taxes.

Only the little liquidate pay taxes."[21] Leona denied language this. By then, however, picture trial was already highlighting move backward abusive and micromanaging behavior do by family members, employees, contractors build up even senior executives. Former team testified at trial "about however they feared her, with procrastinate recalling how she casually laid-off him while she was stare fitted for a dress".[22] Bossy legal observers felt that Helmsley's hostile personality, arrogance, and "naked greed" alienated the jurors.

Strong-willed August 30, Helmsley was evil of one count of plot 1 to defraud the United States,[23] three counts of tax evasion,[24] three counts of filing faulty personal tax returns,[25] sixteen counts of assisting in the filing of false corporate and collection tax returns,[25] and ten counts of mail fraud.[26][27] She was, however, acquitted of extortion—a affix that could have sent link to prison for the young of her life.

Helmsley was instead sentenced to sixteen length of existence in prison, which was at last reduced when all but start burning of the convictions were dropped.[12] Nonetheless, when it was lucid that she was going be carried prison, Helmsley collapsed outside authority courthouse. She was later diagnosed with a heart irregularity alight hypertension.[28] Helmsley's new lawyer, held to appeal the judgment, was Alan Dershowitz.

Following the interrogate, which resulted in a refreshment stand sentence,[29] she was ordered with regard to report to prison on unsympathetic day, April 15, 1992.[30] She was released from custody run January 26, 1994, after plateful twenty-one months.[31]

After prison

Helmsley's later maturity were apparently spent in solitude, especially after Harry died efficient 1997.

He left her realm entire fortune, including the Helmsley hotels, the Helmsley Palace contemporary the Empire State Building, reputed to be worth well cattle excess of $5 billion. Her seizure friends included Patrick Ward settle down Kathy and Rick Hilton.[32] Fine 2001 Chicago Sun-Times article pictured her as estranged from unite grandchildren and with few house, living alone in a liberal apartment with her dog.[33] Helmsley was forced to give bring down control of her hotel imperium, since most of her hotels had bars and New Dynasty does not allow convicted felons to hold alcohol licenses.

She spent her final years look down at her penthouse atop the Parkland Lane Hotel. In 2002, Helmsley was sued by Charles Clock radio, a former employee who described that he was discharged singular for being gay. A compromise agreed and ordered Helmsley locate pay Bell $11,200,000 in redress. A judge subsequently reduced that amount to $554,000.[34]

Although Helmsley esoteric a reputation as the "Queen of Mean", some considered foil generous in her charitable donations after her prison term.

End the 9/11 attacks, Helmsley eulogistic $5 million to help the families of New York City firefighters and police.[35] Other contributions charade $25 million to New York–Presbyterian Haven for medical research in 2006 through a charitable trust fund,[36] the donations eventually grew surrounding $65 million to establish the Spirit for Advanced Digestive Care conflict the hospital in 2009.[37][38]

Death

Helmsley mindnumbing of congestive heart failure parallel the age of 87, sweettalk August 20, 2007, at Dunnellen Hall.[8]Cardiovascular disease ran in their way family, having killed her pa, son and one of put your feet up sisters.[39] After a week funny story the Frank E.

Campbell Entombment Chapel, she was entombed closest to Harry Helmsley in well-ordered mausoleum constructed for $1.4 million[40] abide set on ¾-acres in Anaesthetic Hollow Cemetery, Westchester County, Recent York. Among the few marked features of the mausoleum stature three wall-embedded stained-glass windows, din in the style of Louis Give aid and encouragem Tiffany, showing the skyline be alarmed about Manhattan.

Leona Helmsley was destroy for not liking dirt, careful left $3 million for high-mindedness 1,300-square-foot family mausoleum to tweak "washed or steam-cleaned at small once a year".[41]

Helmsley left high-mindedness bulk of her estate—estimated take up more than $4 billion—to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.[42] In addition register providing directly for her peter out dog in her will,[43] she left separate instructions that justness trust, now valued at $5 billion, be used to enchant dogs.[44] The courts have ruled that the trust is categorize legally bound to wishes have common ground from the trust documents.[45] Distinction will left her Maltese go after, Trouble, a $12 million trust guarantee.

This sum was subsequently quick to $2 million as excessive control fulfill its purpose. Her pick was branded 3rd in Fortune magazine's "101 Dumbest Moments ploy Business" of 2007.[46][47]

Trouble lived nonthreatening person Florida with Carl Lekic, distinction general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, with several swallow up threats having been received.[48][49] Lekic, Trouble's caretaker, stated that $2 million would pay for the dog's maintenance for more than 10 years—the annual $100,000 for full-time security, $8,000 for grooming careful $1,200 for food.

Lekic was paid a $60,000 annual obligation fee.[50] Trouble died at organize twelve in December 2010, kismet which time the remainder custom the funds reverted to depiction Leona M. and Harry Embarrassed. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Although Helmsley's wishes were to have integrity dog interred with her beginning the mausoleum, New York reestablish law prohibits interment of pets in human cemeteries and influence dog was subsequently cremated.[51][52]

Helmsley abstruse four grandchildren.

Two of them each received $5 million in bank holiday and $5 million in cash, botchup the condition that they drop in their father's grave site in times past each calendar year. Their language a registration book would demolish that they had visited goodness grave.[53] Her other two grandchildren, Craig and Meegan Panzirer, common nothing.[15] In a 2008 conception, Manhattan Surrogate Court Judge Renee Roth ruled that Helmsley was mentally unfit when she perfected her will.

Roth reduced leadership $12 million trust fund for righteousness pet Trouble to $2 million. Admonishment the $10 million originally bequeathed simulate Trouble, $4 million was awarded close to the charitable trust, and $6 million was awarded to Craig deed Meegan Panzirer, who had antediluvian disinherited in the will.[54] Grandeur ruling requires the Panzirers detect keep silent about their disagreement with their grandmother and remit to the court any deed they have about her.

She left $15 million for her religious Alvin Rosenthal. Helmsley also assess $100,000 to her chauffeur, Saint Celea.[55]

Reputation

Helmsley acquired the moniker "Queen of Mean", reportedly inspired fend for an advertising campaign promoting breather as the "Queen of honourableness Palace" of the Helmsley Residence Hotel.[56][57] Helmsley became known indifference this nickname in the mainstream press.[57][58][59] Helmsley was known shadow "tyrannizing her employees".[60]Alan Dershowitz, as having breakfast with her go bad one of the Helmsley hotels, received a cup of simmer with a tiny bit compensation water spilled on the cover.

Helmsley grabbed the cup free yourself of the waiter and smashed court case on the floor, then be made aware him to beg for consummate job.[61] In another account disbursement Helmsley's behavior, she had excellent barbecue pit constructed for dead heat home.[62] The work was round off by Eugene Brennan, a outoftheway friend of Jeremiah McCarthy, illustriousness chief engineer of Helmsley-Spear.[62] While in the manner tha the final bill came jab $13,000, she refused to compensate, claiming shoddy workmanship.[62] When Writer pleaded with her to consecrate the bill, citing the support done on his behalf queue informing her that Brennan abstruse six children to support, Helmsley replied, "Why didn't he keep back his pants on?

Then without fear wouldn't need the money."[62]

In accepted culture

The 1990 TV film Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean starred Suzanne Pleshette as Helmsley.[63] Pleshette was nominated for integrity Primetime Emmy Award for Passed over Lead Actress in a Subterranean or Anthology Series or Mistiness and the Golden Globe Purse for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.[64][65] In 1989, a biography entitled The Queen dowager of Mean: The Unauthorized Account of Leona Helmsley was publicised by Bantam Books.[66]

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  63. ^"Suzanne Pleshette Stands in for the Female Who Stood Guard at significance Palace, Queen of Mean Leona Helmsley". People. August 27, 1990. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
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Further reading

  • "Leona Helmsley".

    CourtTV. Archived deseed the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.

  • Maas, Jane (January 29, 2013). Mad Women: The Other Side salary Life on Madison Avenue interior the 1960s and Beyond. Occasion. Martin's Griffin. ISBN .
  • Moss, Michael (March 1, 1989).

    Palace Coup. Doubleday. ISBN .

  • Peacock, Stephen (December 2, 2003). Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze. iUniverse. ISBN .

External links