She also fired personnel at random at the slightest pretext. She also dirtied up personal affairs when she threw out the widow of her from their real estate residence when only son Jay Panzirer died in 1982 of heart attack. The long legal battle left Mimi totally bankrupt.

Personal life
  
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley (July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was actually a hat-maker’s daughter and was born in New York to Polish Jewish immigrants.

Her family shifted several times finally to settle in Manhattan. She also changed her name from Lee Roberts, Mindy Roberts, Leni Roberts to Leona Mindy Roberts.

She married three times, first to attorney Leo Panzirer, then garment industry executive Joseph Lubin and finally property business baron Harry Helmsley. Her only son was Jay Panzirer from her first marriage.

Trivia

• Leona Helmsley was nicknamed ‘Mean Queen’ for her petulance and hostile conduct.

• Herself a chain smoker, Leona made illegitimate claims of featuring in the billboard advertisement of Chesterfield cigarette.

• After Jay’s death Leona sued her son's estate for money and property that she claimed he had borrowed, giving his wife Mimi an eviction notice.

References/Links

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/Real_Estate_Rank_1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leona_Helmsley

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=21034267&page=gr

Leona Mindy Rosenthal Helmsley