Anthony Marshall, who was found guilty of grand larceny related to stealing from his late mother Brooke Astor's fortune, was sentenced to one to three years in prison today. The 85-year-old World War II veteran and former U.S. ambassador had been fighting a sentence that would require prison time, with his lawyers pointing out that his illnesses could mean he would die in prison. more ›

NY Times courts beat reporter John Eligon details how he, "a 26-year-old dreadlocked black guy who has been in the city for only four years and, truth be told, did not know who Brooke Astor was until she died in 2007," became obsessed with the Astor trial, even dreaming about it (there was "a nightmare about missing the verdict"). Eligon got to know the figures: Defendant Anthony Marshall told him how wonderful Trinidad, where Eligon grew up, was (Marshall had been ambassador there); Marshall's wife Charlene loved his dreadlocks, once even running her hands through them; and co-defendant Francis Morrissey told him he looked like a kouros as well as Toussaint L’Ouverture. more ›

The jurors in the trial about the late Brooke Astor's estate continue to offer glimpses of what the six-month (!!!) marathon was like. They found Astor's 85-year-old son Anthony Marshall guilty of grand larceny—and the decision was not taken lightly. The jury forewoman Kristina Jezycki told the Daily News, "It's difficult to have a World War II veteran in this position. I have always respected my elders, so I find it very difficult to handle." more ›

With Anthony Marshall found guilty of looting the $200 million estate of his mother—the late philanthopist Brooke Astor—the tabloids are reveling in the drama of it all. Heck, the Post goes for the gusto with the headline "Tony's Miss Piggy skewered in Astor verdict," referring to Marshall's wife Charlene. more ›

During the latest day in the trial of Anthony Marshall, the late philanthropist Brooke Astor's son, a lawyer who represented both son and mother testified that Marshall diligently crunched the numbers to calculate what his wife would get, in the case of his death. Because Astor despised daughter-in-law Charlene Marshall that she explicitly told lawyer-turned-witness Henry Christensen that she didn't want to leave anything to her. Christensen said that Anthony Marshall gave him a 2001 memo, titled, "Concern: My ability to provide sufficient financial assistance to Charlene upon my death after distributions and expenses, including taxes." But Christensen said that in spite that Charlene owned their $2 million apartment plus had a $1 million trust fund (that would earn $115,000/year in interest) set up by her husband, Marshall was "concerned she wasn't going to have anything." Marshall is accused of forging his mother's signature on a will and asking her to sign another will—while she was in mental decline—to give him $60 million meant for charitable groups. more ›

A judge ruled that a 2001 incident where Charlene Marshall complained about mother-in-law Brooke Astor won't be heard by the jury. Marshall's husband, Anthony, is Astor's only son and is on trial for allegedly forging her will to gain $60 million. Astor's social secretary recounted Charlene that ranted, "She's f---ing killing him!"—referring to Astor and her husband—"If he dies before she does, I get nothing!" Prosecutors hoped to enter the statements into the trial, because they says it points to why Anthony Marshall would have wanted to take his mother's money—to sate his wife's greed. The Post reports that prosecutor Joel Seidemann explained it as, "It's all for Charlene. She's in the mix. It's unavoidable. They can say there is no elephant in the room. But there is an elephant in the room." The Daily News' Joanna Molloy uses her column to wonder why the trial is suddenly about Charlene Marshall, the woman who left her minister husband for the heir of Brooke Astor. A friend of Charlene Marshall's tells Molloy, "[Charlene] is an extremely compassionate woman. She's active at St. James Church. She brings Communion to shut-ins ... She listens. She helps people in pain ... She's not a golddigger at all." Brooke Astor didn't much like Charlene, FWIW. more ›

If prosecutors are accusing you of being a horrible son and swindling your mother's fortune by forging her signature in a will, what do you do on Mother's Day: Do you stay home and rest up your 84-year-old body for the trial or do you head to your mother's grave to pay your respects? The NY Post went to the home of Anthony Marshall, son of legendary philanthropist Brooke Astor, and ultimately surmised that he "didn't visit his mom Brooke Astor's grave on Mother's Day yesterday because he was too busy taking orders from the woman who replaced her -- his accused money-grubbing wife." Charlene Marshall first said that Marshall wasn't there, only for Marshall to appear in his nightshirt "looking frail." His wife told him to leave, told the reporter that he had to rest (Marshall is on trial for grand larceny and conspiracy for the changes to his mother's will) and explained they couldn't answer any questions, per lawyer's orders. The Post reports that there were "no new flowers" on Astor's grave; previously the paper criticized the disrepair at the site. more ›

Charlene Marshall, married to Brooke Astor's son Anthony Marshall, broke down on her way to her husband's trial this morning. The Post reports, "The tears began as photographers descended on Charlene Marshall as she walked into Manhattan Supreme Court with her husband Anthony, 84." The Daily News' version: "The waterworks started when photographers descended on Charlene Marshall as she walked into the Manhattan courthouse on the arm of her husband, Anthony." Both tabloids say she told photographers, "Oh, please don't," when they took pictures of her (the News has one of her looking red-eyed and looking rather miserable). more ›

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." more ›