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Last year questions came out surrounding the amount of money that Hilly Kristal, the late founder of CBGB, actually had when he died. Now the NY Times delves into the ongoing family fued: "its ownership and legacy are being challenged by a lawsuit that has riven the family of its proprietor, Hilly Kristal, who died last year... the case is filled with accusations of fraud and deception, and it adds a bitter coda to the story of a beloved New York institution." The woman behind the lawsuit is the 83-year-old former wife of Kristal, Karen Kristal (real name Sara Rebecca). She accuses their "daughter, Lisa Kristal Burgman, 53 — who inherited the bulk of her father’s estate of more than $3 million — systematically deceived her by hiding money from the sale of merchandise." While the battle continues, the Village Voice points out that "anyone who had to get paid by Hilly knows that fighting over money is actually an integral part of the legacy." Indeed.
Fight for Hilly Kristal's Money Continues
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Those Mariachi guys piss me off when you enter a mostly silent subway car.
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These people need a good Jewish lawyer to settle this matter.
This isn't just "a bitter coda to the story of a beloved New York institution." This is the culmination of an intense feud that's raged since Karen Kristal won the CBGB's liquor license as part of her settlement in what must have been a very contentious divorce. This is the final act.
Old folks like me (I worked for Hilly 1986-1987) will remember the Hilly-Lisa/Karen-Dana divide (Dana Kristal is Lisa's younger brother, who must be in his mid-late 40s by now), and how Karen controlled the Sunday hardcore matinees like a ruthless witch.
It's no surprise that Hilly never let Karen know just how much his licensing deals were worth. It's also no surprise that Hilly and Lisa deliberately cut Karen and Dana out.
When I worked there, you had to take sides, and you had to side with Hilly. At the same time, you had to be nice to Karen because she had the leverage of the liquor license and therefore the power to make it all go away at any time (she frequently threatened to close the club). She and her son were very close, very obnoxious and very unpopular. They really seemed to feel the old man owed them, and he obviously disagreed. Maybe they're doing this to try to keep the will in probate so they can force Lisa to make a settlement and squeeze out one last taste.
Hilly as I recall was kind of eccentric and had a gruff manner but was also kindly and fun once you won him over. He loved to cook, he really enjoyed being around young people, he knew a lot of interesting characters from the neighborhood and from the rock world who would stop by and visit him at the club. It's the (messy) end of an era.
If life was fair, Hilly's leftover money would be divided and spread evenly to every performer who ever graced the stage of CBGB. Because, in the end, it was the artists who made the club have value—not Hilly, not the wife, not the kids.
TuraLura - You must know my peeps. Because they said the same thing about Hilly. Especially about the licensing and not protecting himself from the knock-offs. Hilly's coke problem didn't help either.
It's horrible that money tears families apart, whether they're families like the Cleavers or freaks like the Kristals. Root of all evil.