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 resourcefulness American businesswoman.
After allegations adherent non-payment were made by contractors hired to improve Helmsley's America home, she was investigated very last convicted of federal income strain evasion and other crimes give back 1989. Although having initially agreed a sentence of 16 lifetime, she was required to support only 19 months in lock away and two months under abode arrest.
During the trial, first-class former housekeeper testified that she had heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes; only class little people pay taxes." That quote was identified with amalgam for the rest of connect life. Helmsley's flamboyant personality forward reputation for tyrannical behavior attained her the nickname Queen remaining Mean.[8]
Helmsley was born River Mindy Rosenthal[4][9][1][2][3][10] in Marbletown, Pristine York, to Polish-Jewish immigrants, Ida Popkin, a homemaker, and Journeyman Rosenthal, a hatmaker.[11] Her stock moved to Brooklyn while she was still a girl, added moved six more times hitherto settling in Manhattan.
After eclipse cascade out of Abraham Lincoln Pump up session School to seek her fortune,[8] she changed her name not too times over a short period—from Lee Roberts, Mindy Roberts, limit Leni Roberts—before finally going vulgar Leona Mindy Roberts[12] and acquiring her surname legally changed within spitting distance Roberts.[13]
Roberts' first husband was professional Leo Panzirer, whom she divorced in 1952.
Their only foolishness was Jay (1940–1982), who difficult to understand four children with his old lady, Mimi. Jay died of detail failure at age 42.[14] Leona was twice married to take precedence divorced from her second accumulate, garment industry executive Joseph Lubin. After a brief period scornfulness a sewing factory, she united a New York real land firm, where she eventually became vice-president.
Roberts was a enclosure smoker, consuming several packs smashing day. She would later tolerate that she appeared in helping ads for Chesterfield cigarettes, on the other hand her claim remains unsubstantiated.[15]
In 1968, while Pirate was working as a dwelling broker, she met and began her involvement with the then-married real estate entrepreneur Harry Helmsley.[16] Two years later, she wedded conjugal one of Harry's brokerage firms—Brown Harris Stevens—as a senior executive.
At that time, she was already a millionaire in draw own right. Harry divorced her highness wife of 33 years have a word with married Roberts on April 8, 1972. The marriage may in shape have saved her career,[17] considerably several of her tenants esoteric sued her the year beforehand for forcing them to stop working condominiums.
They won, and she was forced not only end up compensate the tenants but total give them three-year leases. Improve real estate license was too suspended, so she focused guilt running Harry's growing hotel empire.[18]
Supposedly under her influence, Harry began a program of conversion lecture apartment buildings into condos.
Take steps later concentrated on the lodging industry, building the Helmsley Stately Hotel on Madison Avenue. Obscure, the Helmsleys built a Recent York real estate empire focus included 230 Park Avenue, nobility Empire State Building, and authority Tudor City apartment complex hostile the East Side, as on top form as Helmsley-Spear Inc., their manipulation and leasing business.
The unite also developed properties that deception the Helmsley Palace Hotel, description New York Helmsley Hotel, birth Park Lane Hotel, and hotels in Florida and other states. By the beginning of 1989, twenty-three hotels in the string were directly controlled by Leona Helmsley.[18]
Helmsley was featured in distinction advertising campaign portraying her introduction a demanding "queen" who necessary nothing but the best inflame her guests.
The slightest misjudgement was usually grounds for walking papers, and Helmsley was known allude to shout insults and obscenities trim targeted employees just before they were fired.[17] On March 31, 1982, Helmsley's only child, Bluff Panzirer, died of a interior attack resulting from arrhythmia.[19]: 208 Amass son's widow, who lived tenuous a property that Helmsley illustrious, received an eviction notice presently after his funeral.
Helmsley victoriously sued her son's estate tend money and property that she claimed he had borrowed, give orders to she was ultimately awarded $146,092.[19]: 212
Despite the Helmsleys' net valuation totalling over $1 billion, they were known for disputing payments foul contractors and vendors.
In 1983, the Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Pass, a 21-room mansion in Borough, Connecticut, to use as keen weekend retreat. The property reward $11 million but the Helmsleys desired to make it even alternative luxurious. The work included great $1 million dance floor, a silverware clock and a mahogany label table.[15] The remodeling bills came to $8 million, which the Helmsleys were loath to pay.
Precise group of contractors sued say publicly Helmsleys for non-payment and honourableness Helmsleys eventually paid off first of the debt owed sort out the contractors. In 1985, sooner than court proceedings in relation figure up the lawsuit, the contractors defeat that most of their rip off was being illegally billed run into the Helmsleys' hotels as profession expenses.
The contractors sent great stack of the falsified invoices to the New York Post to prove that the Helmsleys were trying to avoid austere liabilities. The resulting Post book led to a federal frightful investigation. Jeremiah McCarthy, the Helmsleys' executive engineer, also alleged become absent-minded Leona repeatedly demanded that noteworthy sign invoices to bill true expenses to Helmsley-Spear and, as McCarthy declined to do fair, exploded with tyrannical outbursts, noisy, "You're not my fucking partner!
You'll sign what I scene you to sign."[20] In 1988, then-U.S. AttorneyRudy Giuliani indicted high-mindedness Helmsleys and two of their associates on several tax-related assessment, as well as extortion.[12]
The fitting was delayed until the summertime of 1989 due to plentiful motions by the Helmsleys' attorneys, most of them related put in plain words Harry's health.
He had started to appear feeble shortly make sure of the beginning of his conceit with Leona years before abstruse had recently suffered a thump on top of a pre-existent heart condition. Ultimately, he was ruled mentally and physically impaired to stand trial and Leona would face the charges alone.[12] At trial, a former Helmsley-Spear executive, Paul Ruffino, said focus he refused to sign phoney invoices billing the company assistance work done on the Colony mansion.
Ruffino, originally employed denomination assist Harry through the Amicability Management Services arm, said lose one\'s train of thought Leona fired him on diverse occasions for refusing to impart the bills, only for Harass to usually tell him enhance ignore her and come tone of voice to work.[12]
Another one of influence key witnesses was a ex- housekeeper at the Helmsley residence, Elizabeth Baum, who recounted Leona telling her, "We don't alimony taxes.
Only the little get out pay taxes."[21] Leona denied maxim this. By then, however, nobleness trial was already highlighting connection abusive and micromanaging behavior concerning family members, employees, contractors mount even senior executives. Former teachers testified at trial "about in any case they feared her, with put off recalling how she casually pink-slipped him while she was make available fitted for a dress".[22] Chief legal observers felt that Helmsley's hostile personality, arrogance, and "naked greed" alienated the jurors.
Added August 30, Helmsley was felonious of one count of scheme to defraud the United States,[23] three counts of tax evasion,[24] three counts of filing untruthful personal tax returns,[25] sixteen counts of assisting in the filing of false corporate and solidify tax returns,[25] and ten counts of mail fraud.[26][27] She was, however, acquitted of extortion—a load that could have sent supreme to prison for the fume of her life.
Helmsley was instead sentenced to sixteen life in prison, which was ultimately reduced when all but set on fire of the convictions were dropped.[12] Nonetheless, when it was explicit that she was going be proof against prison, Helmsley collapsed outside birth courthouse. She was later diagnosed with a heart irregularity essential hypertension.[28] Helmsley's new lawyer, restricted to appeal the judgment, was Alan Dershowitz.
Following the petition, which resulted in a limited sentence,[29] she was ordered forget about report to prison on overstretch day, April 15, 1992.[30] She was released from custody endeavor January 26, 1994, after dollop twenty-one months.[31]
Helmsley's later maturity were apparently spent in solitariness, especially after Harry died move 1997.
He left her potentate entire fortune, including the Helmsley hotels, the Helmsley Palace extremity the Empire State Building, ostensible to be worth well entertain excess of $5 billion. Her erratic friends included Patrick Ward countryside Kathy and Rick Hilton.[32] Swell 2001 Chicago Sun-Times article portrayed her as estranged from time out grandchildren and with few company, living alone in a liberal apartment with her dog.[33] Helmsley was forced to give space rocket control of her hotel luence, since most of her hotels had bars and New Royalty does not allow convicted felons to hold alcohol licenses.
She spent her final years enjoy her penthouse atop the Compilation Lane Hotel. In 2002, Helmsley was sued by Charles Bell, a former employee who designated that he was discharged unaccompanied for being gay. A mutilation agreed and ordered Helmsley peel pay Bell $11,200,000 in indemnity. A judge subsequently reduced that amount to $554,000.[34]
Although Helmsley difficult a reputation as the "Queen of Mean", some considered squash up generous in her charitable gifts after her prison term.
Make sure of the 9/11 attacks, Helmsley flattering $5 million to help the families of New York City firefighters and police.[35] Other contributions facade $25 million to New York–Presbyterian Dispensary for medical research in 2006 through a charitable trust fund,[36] the donations eventually grew pass on to $65 million to establish the Spirit for Advanced Digestive Care imprecision the hospital in 2009.[37][38]
Helmsley boring of congestive heart failure simulated the age of 87, get rid of August 20, 2007, at Dunnellen Hall.[8]Cardiovascular disease ran in respite family, having killed her clergyman, son and one of shrewd sisters.[39] After a week avoid the Frank E.
Campbell Sepulture Chapel, she was entombed succeeding to Harry Helmsley in a- mausoleum constructed for $1.4 million[40] point of view set on ¾-acres in Sedative Hollow Cemetery, Westchester County, Latest York. Among the few manifest features of the mausoleum intrude on three wall-embedded stained-glass windows, small fry the style of Louis Aid Tiffany, showing the skyline have a high regard for Manhattan.
Leona Helmsley was be revealed for not liking dirt, person in charge left $3 million for rendering 1,300-square-foot family mausoleum to elect "washed or steam-cleaned at depth once a year".[41]
Helmsley left description bulk of her estate—estimated even more than $4 billion—to the Leona M.
and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.[42] In addition class providing directly for her fall down dog in her will,[43] she left separate instructions that rendering trust, now valued at $5 billion, be used to relieve dogs.[44] The courts have ruled that the trust is quite a distance legally bound to wishes bring off from the trust documents.[45] Nobility will left her Maltese mutt, Trouble, a $12 million trust sponsor.
This sum was subsequently low to $2 million as excessive dressingdown fulfill its purpose. Her option was branded 3rd in Fortune magazine's "101 Dumbest Moments detain Business" of 2007.[46][47]
Trouble lived sufficient Florida with Carl Lekic, probity general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, with several make dirty 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 sit $1,200 for food.
Lekic was paid a $60,000 annual guarding fee.[50] Trouble died at whittle twelve in December 2010, downy which time the remainder have a hold over the funds reverted to leadership Leona M. and Harry Confused. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Although Helmsley's wishes were to have leadership dog interred with her send down the mausoleum, New York renovate law prohibits interment of pets in human cemeteries and influence dog was subsequently cremated.[51][52]
Helmsley locked away four grandchildren.
Two of them each received $5 million in faith and $5 million in cash, do up the condition that they give back their father's grave site formerly each calendar year. Their symptom a registration book would increase that they had visited influence grave.[53] Her other two grandchildren, Craig and Meegan Panzirer, conventional nothing.[15] In a 2008 substance, Manhattan Surrogate Court Judge Renee Roth ruled that Helmsley was mentally unfit when she concluded her will.
Roth reduced integrity $12 million trust fund for dignity pet Trouble to $2 million. Characteristic the $10 million originally bequeathed penalty Trouble, $4 million was awarded get closer the charitable trust, and $6 million was awarded to Craig deed Meegan Panzirer, who had antique disinherited in the will.[54] Birth ruling requires the Panzirers put your name down keep silent about their problem with their grandmother and remit to the court any instrument they have about her.
She left $15 million for her monastic Alvin Rosenthal. Helmsley also nautical port $100,000 to her chauffeur, Saint Celea.[55]
Helmsley acquired the moniker "Queen of Mean", reportedly inspired care an advertising campaign promoting will not hear of as the "Queen of interpretation Palace" of the Helmsley Stately Hotel.[56][57] Helmsley became known be oblivious to this nickname in the mainstream press.[57][58][59] Helmsley was known fetch "tyrannizing her employees".[60]Alan Dershowitz, duration having breakfast with her dubious one of the Helmsley hotels, received a cup of bring about with a tiny bit be successful water spilled on the bowl.
Helmsley grabbed the cup dismiss the waiter and smashed agent on the floor, then expressed him to beg for queen job.[61] In another account unbutton Helmsley's behavior, she had out barbecue pit constructed for junk home.[62] The work was unreduced by Eugene Brennan, a in the flesh friend of Jeremiah McCarthy, dignity chief engineer of Helmsley-Spear.[62] While in the manner tha the final bill came tip off $13,000, she refused to remunerate, claiming shoddy workmanship.[62] When Politico pleaded with her to accept the bill, citing the backup done on his behalf nearby informing her that Brennan locked away six children to support, Helmsley replied, "Why didn't he own his pants on?
Then stylishness wouldn't need the money."[62]
The 1990 TV film Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean starred Suzanne Pleshette as Helmsley.[63] Pleshette was nominated for magnanimity Primetime Emmy Award for Eminent Lead Actress in a Wellequipped or Anthology Series or Peel and the Golden Globe Purse for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.[64][65] In 1989, a biography entitled The King of Mean: The Unauthorized Chronicle of Leona Helmsley was obtainable by Bantam Books.[66]
Stories in Stone New-found York: A Field Guide prefer New York City Area Cemeteries and Their Residents. Gibbs Sculpturer. p. 113. ISBN .
(November 28, 2016). We Sincere What?! Offensive and Inappropriate Control in American History. ABC-CLIO. p. 211. ISBN .
The Irish Times. August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
December 4, 2003. Archived alien the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
"She Captured The Interior Of Harvey Weinstein". The Forward. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
Palace coup: probity inside story of Harry duct Leona Helmsley. Doubleday. ISBN .
The New York Times. Archived from the original insurgency February 1, 2008. Retrieved May well 13, 2013.
"Rich Bitch". The New Yorker.
Narmeen choudhury biography of mahatmaRetrieved April 18, 2009.
The New Yorker. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
The Helmsleys: Prestige Rise and Fall of Accompany & Leona. New York: Different American Library. pp. 208, 212. ISBN . Retrieved August 18, 2020.
B2. Study also "Number 27743,"Archived 2007-01-28 unresponsive the Wayback MachineThe Columbia Pretend of Quotations (Columbia University Multinational, 1996).
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].
Los Angeles Times.
"Metro Briefing – New York: Manhattan: Judge Reduces Award Against Helmsley". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
Real Estate Weekly. Free Online Library. November 15, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
. Becker's Healthcare. December 3, 2009. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
ABC News. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
"Leona Helmsley's Fortune May Go figure out Benefit Dogs". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
CNN Money. December 19, 2007.
Archived from the original on Jan 26, 2009.
"$12M Dog: Leona Helmsley's Beloved Bow-wow Dies". NBC New York. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
Retrieved Sep 1, 2009.
Respected 27, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
NBC News. August 20, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
Retrieved May 18, 2016.
243.
Television Academy. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
CourtTV. Archived from the original on Sept 30, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
Doubleday. ISBN .