Hotelier Leona Helmsley, who once served prison time for tax evasion and was often called the "Queen of
Mean," has died. Helmsley suffered heart failure at her summer home in Greenwich, Conn., said her publicist, Howard Rubenstein.
Helmsley, with husband, Harry, ran a $5 billion real estate
empire which included managing the Empire State Building. A former housekeeper once said she heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes." She later served time in prison for tax evasion.
She denied making the statement, but the words followed her for the rest of her life.
She was 87.
R.I.P.8/20/2007 11:05 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
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(Page 4 of 4) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 447.
She had class and that is what so many talking crap about her dont understand. I had the opportunity to speak to her as a young police officer and she was great, I still have a handwritten letter that she wrote to me. She will be missed by many! It was people like this that made Great Hotels! No mas to all the little people!
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48.
I have to agree w/ the "looks like the Joker" comment - xactly what I thought when I saw the pic!
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49.
i believe the death certificate reads "failure to HAVE a heart"
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50.
THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD (theme song from The Wizard of Oz).
Geez, this was ONE REALLY MEAN lady. I read that when her young son died of a heart attack, she immediately evicted his widow and their kids from her house they were living in. And I read she sued for all the money he left his wife and kids and took it to pay off some money she loaned him when he was a kid in college.
If this is true, CATCH LEONA, HERE'S A BUCKET OF WATER !
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51.
She always looked like a "stiff". Now she really is one. Glad she's dead and gone. The world just became a little bit easier to live in.
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52.
I thought it was an extension to the following piece about Heath Ledger...the first thought I had was...THE JOKER!!
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57.
CHERYL SHUMAN SUSPENDED FROM YOUTUBE
CHERYL SHUMAN LIAR
CHERYL SHUMAN EX CON
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