Harry Helmsley
Encyclopedia
Harry B. Helmsley was an American
entrepreneur
who built a company that became one of the biggest property
holders in the United States
. Part of his company's portfolio at one time included the Empire State Building
, The Helmsley Palace, the Park Lane Hotel
, the Helmsley Middletowne Hotel, the New York Helmsley Hotel (also known as the New York Harley), The Helmsley Windsor Hotel, the St. Moritz (now the Ritz-Carlton
), the Carlton House
hotels, the Harley Hotel chain and The Helmsley Building in New York City
.
^^
His wife, Leona Helmsley
— notoriously called the "Queen of Mean" — was convicted in 1989 on federal charges of tax
evasion in a celebrated trial. Harry had been indicted
along with Leona, but it was determined that he was far too ill physically to stand trial and too weak mentally to be capable of assisting his attorneys
in his own defense, one of the legal standards which allows crimes to go unprosecuted on the grounds of mental defect of the defendant.
In 1980, Mr. Helmsley received The Hundred Year Association of New York
's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York."
. He did not go to college. At age 16 in 1925, he began learning the real estate business, and started working for Dwight, Voorhis & Perry, where he rose from an office boy (for $12 a week) to broker to partner. He eventually purchased the firm in 1938, renaming it Dwight, Voorhis & Helmsley.
Also in 1938, he married Eve Ella Sherpick Green, a widow.
In 1955, he acquired business competitor Spear & Company, which became Helmsley-Spear and expanded his holdings in lower Manhattan. He purchased real estate firm Brown Harris Stevens, which brought him into rental and cooperative apartment sales and management; it was also where he hired Leona Roberts in 1970 as senior vice president.
He divorced his first wife Eve in 1971 and married Leona in 1972.
at age 87 at a hospital in Scottsdale
, Arizona
, and left all of his empire ($5.5 billion) to his wife Leona. His remains were initially entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery
in the Bronx, New York, but later moved to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
who built a company that became one of the biggest property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
holders in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Part of his company's portfolio at one time included the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, The Helmsley Palace, the Park Lane Hotel
Park Lane Hotel
The Park Lane Hotel is a 5 Star hotel on Piccadilly, London.The hotel was built in the 1920s in the Grand Art Deco Style by Sir Bracewell Smith. The building is a fine example with a mansard roof and Portland stone facade...
, the Helmsley Middletowne Hotel, the New York Helmsley Hotel (also known as the New York Harley), The Helmsley Windsor Hotel, the St. Moritz (now the Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
), the Carlton House
Carlton House
Carlton House was a mansion in London, best known as the town residence of the Prince Regent for several decades from 1783. It faced the south side of Pall Mall, and its gardens abutted St. James's Park in the St James's district of London...
hotels, the Harley Hotel chain and The Helmsley Building in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
^^
His wife, Leona Helmsley
Leona Helmsley
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
— notoriously called the "Queen of Mean" — was convicted in 1989 on federal charges of tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
evasion in a celebrated trial. Harry had been indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
along with Leona, but it was determined that he was far too ill physically to stand trial and too weak mentally to be capable of assisting his attorneys
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in his own defense, one of the legal standards which allows crimes to go unprosecuted on the grounds of mental defect of the defendant.
In 1980, Mr. Helmsley received The Hundred Year Association of New York
The Hundred Year Association of New York
The Hundred Year Association of New York, founded in 1927, is a non-profit organization in New York City aimed at recognizing and rewarding dedication and service to the City of New York by businesses and organizations that have been in operation in the city for a century or more and by individuals...
's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York."
Early career
Helmsley attended Evander Childs High School in The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. He did not go to college. At age 16 in 1925, he began learning the real estate business, and started working for Dwight, Voorhis & Perry, where he rose from an office boy (for $12 a week) to broker to partner. He eventually purchased the firm in 1938, renaming it Dwight, Voorhis & Helmsley.
Also in 1938, he married Eve Ella Sherpick Green, a widow.
In 1955, he acquired business competitor Spear & Company, which became Helmsley-Spear and expanded his holdings in lower Manhattan. He purchased real estate firm Brown Harris Stevens, which brought him into rental and cooperative apartment sales and management; it was also where he hired Leona Roberts in 1970 as senior vice president.
He divorced his first wife Eve in 1971 and married Leona in 1972.
Death
Helmsley died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at age 87 at a hospital in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and left all of his empire ($5.5 billion) to his wife Leona. His remains were initially entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and is a designated National Historic Landmark.A rural cemetery located in the Bronx, it opened in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874.The cemetery covers more...
in the Bronx, New York, but later moved to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York is the resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent Old Dutch Burying Ground. Incorporated in 1849 as Tarrytown Cemetery, it posthumously honored Irving's...
in Sleepy Hollow, New York.