"Nutty" Abe Hirschfeld Dies at 85

Abe Hirschfeld, the millionaire developer turned jack-of-whatever-he-wanted died yesterday from complications of cancer. While Hirschfeld made his money in real estate (cinderblock, "semi-enclosed" parking garages), he became a public fixture after running for lieutenant governor, buying the NY Post for two weeks and causing the Post's staff to revolt, having a public feud with Jackie Mason, offering Paula Jones $1 million to settle her suit against then President Clinton, running for a variety of public offices - including Manhattan Beep, state comptroller, and Senate - and plotting to kill a business partner. All in all, he was a true New York character.

His official website: Welcome to My World - Abraham Hirschfeld. This NY Post cover is what the paper ran when he bought it - that's NY Post founder Alexander Hamilton weeping. Updated: We finally noticed the Post's non-appreciation of Hirschfeld, with Steve Cuozzo remembering Hirschfeld "joking" to Posties, "Is ridiculous Post has six floors. We going to put everybody on one floor. Trucks, reporters, everybody."