Real estate mogul leaves dog $12 million

NEW YORK – Leona Helmsley’s dog will continue to live an opulent life and then be buried alongside her in a mausoleum.

But two of Helmsley’s grandchildren got nothing from the late luxury hotelier and real estate billionaire’s estate. Helmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will, which was made public on Tuesday in surrogate court.She also left millions of dollars for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, and two of four grandchildren from her late son, Jay Panzirer.If those two grandchildren do not visit their father’s grave site at least once a year, she wrote, they will lose half of the $10 million she left for each of them.Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer’s other children, Craig Panzirer and Meegan Panzirer, for ‘reasons that are known to them’, she wrote.But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper.”I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum,” Helmsley wrote in her will.The mausoleum, she ordered, must be ‘washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year.”She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County, where she is buried with her husband, Harry Helmsley, and where the pair have a view of the New York skyline.She also left her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea, $100 000.Everything else, including cash from sales of the Helmsley’s residences and belongings, reported to be worth billions, she ordered sold and the proceeds given to the Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust.Her longtime spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, had no comment.Helmsley died earlier this month at her Connecticut home.She became known as a symbol of 1980s greed and earned the nickname ‘the Queen of Mean’ after her 1988 indictment and subsequent conviction for tax evasion.One employee had quoted her as snarling, ‘Only the little people pay taxes’.Nampa-APHelmsley left her beloved white Maltese, named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund, according to her will, which was made public on Tuesday in surrogate court.She also left millions of dollars for her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, who was named to care for Trouble in her absence, and two of four grandchildren from her late son, Jay Panzirer.If those two grandchildren do not visit their father’s grave site at least once a year, she wrote, they will lose half of the $10 million she left for each of them.Helmsley left nothing to two of Jay Panzirer’s other children, Craig Panzirer and Meegan Panzirer, for ‘reasons that are known to them’, she wrote.But no one made out better than Trouble, who once appeared in ads for the Helmsley Hotels, and lived up to her name by biting a housekeeper.”I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum,” Helmsley wrote in her will.The mausoleum, she ordered, must be ‘washed or steam-cleaned at least once a year.”She left behind $3 million for the upkeep of her final resting place in Westchester County, where she is buried with her husband, Harry Helmsley, and where the pair have a view of the New York skyline.She also left her chauffeur, Nicholas Celea, $100 000.Everything else, including cash from sales of the Helmsley’s residences and belongings, reported to be worth billions, she ordered sold and the proceeds given to the Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust.Her longtime spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, had no comment.Helmsley died earlier this month at her Connecticut home.She became known as a symbol of 1980s greed and earned the nickname ‘the Queen of Mean’ after her 1988 indictment and subsequent conviction for tax evasion.One employee had quoted her as snarling, ‘Only the little people pay taxes’.Nampa-AP