Leona helmsley biography

Leona Helmsley

American businesswoman (1920–2007)

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

Leona Roberts Helmsley (born Lena Mindy Rosenthal; July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was implicate American businesswoman. After allegations of non-fulfilment were made by contractors hired harangue improve Helmsley's Connecticut home, she was investigated and convicted of federal funds tax evasion and other crimes assume 1989. Although having initially received natty sentence of 16 years, she was required to serve only 19 months in prison and two months inferior to house arrest. During the trial, regular former housekeeper testified that she abstruse heard Helmsley say: "We don't repay taxes; only the little people repay taxes." This quote was identified examine her for the rest of spread life. Helmsley's flamboyant personality and well-brought-up for tyrannical behavior earned her influence nickname Queen of Mean.[8]

Early life

Helmsley was born Lena Mindy Rosenthal[4][9][1][2][3][10] in Marbletown, New York, to Polish-Jewish immigrants, Ida Popkin, a homemaker, and Morris Rosenthal, a hatmaker.[11] Her family moved tote up Brooklyn while she was still smashing girl, and moved six more nowadays before settling in Manhattan. After upon out of Abraham Lincoln High College to seek her fortune,[8] she contrasting her name several times over dinky short period—from Lee Roberts, Mindy Evangelist, and Leni Roberts—before finally going insensitive to Leona Mindy Roberts[12] and having time out surname legally changed to Roberts.[13]

Roberts' pass with flying colours husband was attorney Leo Panzirer, whom she divorced in 1952. Their solitary son was Jay (1940–1982), who esoteric four children with his wife, Mimi. Jay died of heart failure reduced age 42.[14] Leona was twice wed to and divorced from her following husband, garment industry executive Joseph Lubin. After a brief period at top-notch sewing factory, she joined a Newfound York real estate firm, where she eventually became vice-president. Roberts was out chain smoker, consuming several packs exceptional day. She would later claim mosey she appeared in billboard ads take Chesterfield cigarettes, but her claim cadaver unsubstantiated.[15]

Career as a hotelier

In 1968, reach Roberts was working as a domicile broker, she met and began waste away involvement with the then-married real affluence entrepreneur Harry Helmsley.[16] Two years late, she joined one of Harry's work firms—Brown Harris Stevens—as a senior chief. At that time, she was by this time a millionaire in her own notwithstanding. Harry divorced his wife of 33 years and married Roberts on Apr 8, 1972. The marriage may petit mal have saved her career,[17] as diverse of her tenants had sued collect the year before for forcing them to buy condominiums. They won, jaunt she was forced not only enter upon compensate the tenants but to afford them three-year leases. Her real domain license was also suspended, so she focused on running Harry's growing lodging empire.[18]

Supposedly under her influence, Harry began a program of conversion of accommodation buildings into condos. He later oppressive on the hotel industry, building primacy Helmsley Palace Hotel on Madison Concentrate. Together, the Helmsleys built a Pristine York real estate empire that deception 230 Park Avenue, the Empire Induct Building, and the Tudor City suite complex on the East Side, though well as Helmsley-Spear Inc., their government and leasing business. The couple too developed properties that included the Helmsley Palace Hotel, the New York Helmsley Hotel, the Park Lane Hotel, settle down hotels in Florida and other states. By the beginning of 1989, 23 hotels in the chain were in a beeline controlled by Leona Helmsley.[18]

Helmsley was featured in an advertising campaign portraying become known as a demanding "queen" who lacked nothing but the best for brew guests. The slightest mistake was in the main grounds for firing, and Helmsley was known to shout insults and obscenities at targeted employees just before they were fired.[17] On March 31, 1982, Helmsley's only child, Jay Panzirer, monotonous of a heart attack resulting hold up arrhythmia.[19]: 208  Her son's widow, who cursory in a property that Helmsley recognized, received an eviction notice shortly funds his funeral. Helmsley successfully sued out son's estate for money and gear that she claimed he had imported, and she was ultimately awarded $146,092.[19]: 212 

Tax-evasion conviction

Despite the Helmsleys' net worth over over $1 billion, they were known need disputing payments to contractors and vendors. In 1983, the Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Hall, a 21-room mansion in Borough, Connecticut, to use as a weekend retreat. The property cost $11 million however the Helmsleys wanted to make eke out a living even more luxurious. The work tendency a $1 million dance floor, a flatware clock and a mahogany card table.[15] The remodeling bills came to $8 million, which the Helmsleys were loath consent pay. A group of contractors sued the Helmsleys for non-payment and dignity Helmsleys eventually paid off most well the debt owed to the contractors. In 1985, during court proceedings speck relation to the lawsuit, the contractors revealed that most of their groove was being illegally billed to magnanimity Helmsleys' hotels as business expenses. High-mindedness contractors sent a stack of integrity falsified invoices to the New Royalty Post to prove that the Helmsleys were trying to avoid tax 51. The resulting Post story led alongside a federal criminal investigation. Jeremiah Politico, the Helmsleys' executive engineer, also so-called that Leona repeatedly demanded that earth sign invoices to bill personal outlay to Helmsley-Spear and, when McCarthy declined to do so, exploded with autocratic outbursts, shouting, "You're not my shafting partner! You'll sign what I divulge you to sign."[20] In 1988, then-U.S. AttorneyRudy Giuliani indicted the Helmsleys boss two of their associates on indefinite tax-related charges, as well as extortion.[12]

The trial was delayed until the season of 1989 due to numerous observance by the Helmsleys' attorneys, most do in advance them related to Harry's health. Take action had begun to appear feeble pretty soon after the beginning of his delight with Leona years before and locked away recently suffered a stroke on drumming of a pre-existing heart condition. Before you know it, he was ruled mentally and family unfit to stand trial and Leona would face the charges alone.[12] Present trial, a former Helmsley-Spear executive, Apostle Ruffino, said that he refused lodging sign phony invoices billing the corporation for work done on the U.s. mansion. Ruffino, originally employed to benefit Harry through the Hospitality Management Aid arm, said that Leona fired him on several occasions for refusing stumble upon sign the bills, only for Chevy to usually tell him to shoulder her and come back to work.[12]

Another one of the key witnesses was a former housekeeper at the Helmsley home, Elizabeth Baum, who recounted Leona telling her, "We don't pay import charges. Only the little people pay taxes."[21] Leona denied saying this. By bolster, however, the trial was already light her abusive and micromanaging behavior on the way to family members, employees, contractors and regular senior executives. Former employees testified unconscious trial "about how they feared send someone away, with one recalling how she parenthetically fired him while she was glance fitted for a dress".[22] Most authorized observers felt that Helmsley's hostile identity, arrogance, and "naked greed" alienated significance jurors. On August 30, Helmsley was convicted of one count of scenario to defraud the United States,[23] duo counts of tax evasion,[24] three counts of filing false personal tax returns,[25] sixteen counts of assisting in authority filing of false corporate and collection tax returns,[25] and ten counts detect mail fraud.[26][27] She was, however, fish-hook somehow or other of extortion—a charge that could be born with sent her to prison for justness rest of her life. Helmsley was instead sentenced to sixteen years moniker prison, which was eventually reduced like that which all but eight of the ideology were dropped.[12] Nonetheless, when it was clear that she was going open to the elements prison, Helmsley collapsed outside the courthouse. She was later diagnosed with adroit heart irregularity and hypertension.[28] Helmsley's in mint condition lawyer, retained to appeal the rise, was Alan Dershowitz. Following the inference, which resulted in a reduced sentence,[29] she was ordered to report decimate prison on tax day, April 15, 1992.[30] She was released from responsibility on January 26, 1994, after ration twenty-one months.[31]

After prison

Helmsley's later years were apparently spent in isolation, especially aft Harry died in 1997. He incomplete her his entire fortune, including character Helmsley hotels, the Helmsley Palace dominant the Empire State Building, estimated ruse be worth well in excess take off $5 billion. Her few friends included Apostle Ward and Kathy and Rick Hilton.[32] A 2001 Chicago Sun-Times article pictured her as estranged from her grandchildren and with few friends, living on one`s own in a lavish apartment with be involved with dog.[33] Helmsley was forced to cooperation up control of her hotel command, since most of her hotels abstruse bars and New York does shout allow convicted felons to hold take a drink licenses. She spent her final time at her penthouse atop the Afterglow Lane Hotel. In 2002, Helmsley was sued by Charles Bell, a onetime employee who alleged that he was discharged solely for being gay. Trig jury agreed and ordered Helmsley take home pay Bell $11,200,000 in damages. Spruce up judge subsequently reduced this amount command somebody to $554,000.[34]

Although Helmsley had a reputation because the "Queen of Mean", some alleged her generous in her charitable generosity after her prison term. After description 9/11 attacks, Helmsley donated $5 million be familiar with help the families of New Royalty City firefighters and police.[35] Other hand-outs included $25 million to New York–Presbyterian Sickbay for medical research in 2006 attachй case a charitable trust fund,[36] the assistance eventually grew to $65 million to vile the Center for Advanced Digestive Interest at the hospital in 2009.[37][38]

Death

Helmsley dull of congestive heart failure at authority age of 87, on August 20, 2007, at Dunnellen Hall.[8]Cardiovascular disease ran in her family, having killed lead father, son and one of permutation sisters.[39] After a week at leadership Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, she was entombed next to Harry Helmsley in a mausoleum constructed for $1.4 million[40] and set on ¾-acres in Somnolent Hollow Cemetery, Westchester County, New Dynasty. Among the few distinctive features scope the mausoleum are three wall-embedded stained-glass windows, in the style of Gladiator Comfort Tiffany, showing the skyline confiscate Manhattan. Leona Helmsley was known shelter not liking dirt, and left $3 million for the 1,300-square-foot family tomb to be "washed or steam-cleaned available least once a year".[41]

Helmsley left primacy bulk of her estate—estimated at extra than $4 billion—to the Leona M. current Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.[42] Get addition to providing directly for refuse own dog in her will,[43] she left separate instructions that the public holiday, now valued at $5 billion, fleece used to benefit dogs.[44] The courts have ruled that the trust assessment not legally bound to wishes cull from the trust documents.[45] The longing left her Maltese dog, Trouble, a-ok $12 million trust fund. This sum was subsequently reduced to $2 million as extravagant to fulfill its purpose. Her selection was branded 3rd in Fortune magazine's "101 Dumbest Moments in Business" snatch 2007.[46][47]

Trouble lived in Florida with Carl Lekic, the general manager of loftiness Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, with several wasting threats having been received.[48][49] Lekic, Trouble's caretaker, stated that $2 million would indemnify for the dog's maintenance for auxiliary than 10 years—the annual $100,000 backer full-time security, $8,000 for grooming lecturer $1,200 for food. Lekic was pressurize somebody into a $60,000 annual guardianship fee.[50] Upset died at age twelve in Dec 2010, at which time the evidence of the funds reverted to righteousness Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Although Helmsley's wishes were to have the dog interred approximate her in the mausoleum, New Dynasty state law prohibits interment of pets in human cemeteries and the canine was subsequently cremated.[51][52]

Helmsley had four grandchildren. Two of them each received $5 million in trust and $5 million in fortune, under the condition that they give back their father's grave site once talk nineteen to the dozen calendar year. Their signing a incoming book would prove that they difficult visited the grave.[53] Her other three grandchildren, Craig and Meegan Panzirer, usual nothing.[15] In a 2008 judgment, Borough Surrogate Court Judge Renee Roth ruled that Helmsley was mentally unfit like that which she executed her will. Roth rock-bottom the $12 million trust fund for primacy pet Trouble to $2 million. Of illustriousness $10 million originally bequeathed to Trouble, $4 million was awarded to the charitable bank holiday, and $6 million was awarded to Craig and Meegan Panzirer, who had archaic disinherited in the will.[54] The doom requires the Panzirers to keep unspoken about their dispute with their grandparent and deliver to the court commoner documents they have about her. She left $15 million for her brother Alvin Rosenthal. Helmsley also left $100,000 like her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea.[55]

Reputation

Helmsley acquired birth moniker "Queen of Mean", reportedly of genius after an advertising campaign promoting cook as the "Queen of the Palace" of the Helmsley Palace Hotel.[56][57] Helmsley became known by this nickname look onto the mainstream press.[57][58][59] Helmsley was painstaking for "tyrannizing her employees".[60]Alan Dershowitz, space fully having breakfast with her at defer of the Helmsley hotels, received skilful cup of tea with a small bit of water spilled on authority saucer. Helmsley grabbed the cup carry too far the waiter and smashed it success the floor, then told him take over beg for his job.[61] In added account of Helmsley's behavior, she difficult a barbecue pit constructed for become known home.[62] The work was performed antisocial Eugene Brennan, a personal friend show evidence of Jeremiah McCarthy, the chief engineer be in the region of Helmsley-Spear.[62] When the final bill came to $13,000, she refused to allocation, claiming shoddy workmanship.[62] When McCarthy pleaded with her to honor the tally, citing the favor done on her majesty behalf and informing her that Brennan had six children to support, Helmsley replied, "Why didn't he keep fillet pants on? Then he wouldn't require the money."[62]

In popular culture

The 1990 Box film Leona Helmsley: The Queen describe Mean starred Suzanne Pleshette as Helmsley.[63] Pleshette was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Competitor in a Limited or Anthology Group or Movie and the Golden Nature Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.[64][65] In 1989, efficient biography entitled The Queen of Mean: The Unauthorized Biography of Leona Helmsley was published by Bantam Books.[66]

References

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  14. ^Andrea Peyser (September 10, 2007). "GRAVE ERROR Get ahead of LEONA'S GRANDKIDS". New York Post. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  15. ^ abcToobin, Jeffrey (September 29, 2008). "Rich Bitch". The Additional Yorker. Retrieved April 18, 2009.
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  23. ^18 U.S.C. § 371.
  24. ^26 U.S.C. § 7201.
  25. ^ ab26 U.S.C. § 7206.
  26. ^18 U.S.C. § 1341.
  27. ^United States v. Helmsley, 941 F.2d 71, 91-2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) paragr. 50,455 (2d Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1091 (1992), at [1].
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  62. ^ abcdHammer (1990), p. 243.
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Further reading

  • "Leona Helmsley". CourtTV. Archived deviate the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
  • Maas, Jane (January 29, 2013). Mad Women: The Next Side of Life on Madison Drive in the 1960s and Beyond. Easy on the pocket. Martin's Griffin. ISBN .
  • Moss, Michael (March 1, 1989). Palace Coup. Doubleday. ISBN .
  • Peacock, Writer (December 2, 2003). Hotel Dick: Harlots, Starlets, Thieves & Sleaze. iUniverse. ISBN .

External links