Defense Claims Brooke Astor Was A Stingy Social Climber

Photograph of Anthony Marshall during the trial by Marc Hermann/AP

The trial of famed philanthropist Brooke Astor's son has started with opening statements. Prosecutors say that Astor's only son Anthony Marshall, along with lawyers, conspired to swindle $60 million from an increasingly debilitated Astor through a codicil to her will while the defense claims Astor wanted to give her son the money all along. Defense attorney Frederick Hafetz even tried to deflate the perception of Astor's charitable largesse, saying she only donated in order to become powerful: "She used that money to position herself in the highest echelons of New York Society [and to become] one of the greatest benefactors... Make no mistake [she used the money] to position herself."

Hafetz also pointed out the many wills Astor made between 1953 and 1993 did not leave money to charity; the NY Times reports, "The millions she did bequeath, Mr. Hafetz said, came from her husband’s foundation, which required that the money go to charity and could not be spent on anything else. Mr. Hafetz emphasized his point for the jury with a graphic on a projector screen that, in bold letters, read, '$0 for Charity.'" Hafetz emphasized, "She changed wills like people changed socks. It was the one subject she could still understand" when she was well into her 100s.

He admitted that Astor initially didn't want to leave money to Marshall because of his third marriage to wife Charlene (because Charlene left her Episcopal priest husband for him)—but says she ultimately "realized that Tony’s third marriage, to Charlene, made Tony happy" and "realized and recognized what Charlene meant to her son — that she made him happy" and changed her will. Notably, Charlene Marshall wept as Hafetz said this in court.

However, prosecutors offered the jury images of various staffers witnessing Marshall and his lawyer harass Astor, including how a nurse saw them "[march] the doddering, 101-year-old doyenne -- one man clutching her by either arm -- into her drawing room to sign papers in which Marshall gave himself sole power of $60 million of his mother's money." Manhattan ADA Elizabeth Loewy said Marshall convinced his mother, who was worth $100 million, that she was broke and had to sell artwork to buy dresses.

While the trial will feature upcoming witnesses like Henry Kissinger, Barbara Walters and Annette de la Renta, we're hoping there more details like this one from the Daily News' Joanna Molloy: Charlene Marshall took out a green cushion to sit on while watching the trial.

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By Jen Chung in News on April 29, 2009 10:20 AM

Comments [rss]

Politburo

What is Philip Marshall's relationship to Anthony Marshall?

Proofreading is your friend.....

Jen Chung

Ugh, thanks—Philip Marshall is Anthony Marshall's son, the one who accused his dad of elder abuse of Brooke! Too many details stuck in my head.

Mattachine

Marshall is getting all the credit here. It's the people who stand behind him and beside him that are money hungry. So when he dies, they can fight over the money if there's any left.

Rocknrope

Truly sad and pathetic. Look at that picture of the decrepit Marshall. How much money does he need with the years he has left?

I guess when money is the only thing you love, you need to cling to as much of it as you can.

Snoopy

Wait and see. If he wins the case, that cane will go away in two seconds, he'll dump miss piggy, run away with a 30 something divorcee, and drop dead a week later.

In the old days he would have got nothing. He's not blood Astor. His mother just happened to marry an Astor that no one else wanted to marry.

NannyState

I predict that when Marshall gets the money, he'll blow it all on fast cars and dope and wind up in jail with nasty addictions.

Snoopy

You have to love these lawyers.

Frederick Hafetz of Hafetz, Hafetz, and Hafetz. You've seen their ads in the subways. "No attorney fees unless you win." "Lawyer and administrative costs are due at closing of trial. No checks! Cash only."