Leona Helmsley Estate Sells at Cut Rate

The Queen of Mean's Greenwich, Conn., mansion got the ultimate revenge on the tacky tax evader. The sale of Dunnellen Hall, home to the late hotel and real estate investor Leona Helmsley, closed yesterday for $35 million, a far cry from the over-the-top pleasure palace's original $125-million price tag. While the selling price is still one of the highest for the posh New York City suburb, it reflects the fact that Dunnellen is an older home without beachfront which will likely require extensive renovation. In 1989, Leona and husband Harry Helmsley were charged with billing $3 million in renovations to the home to their real estate investment company. Leona was eventually convicted and served around two years in prison. She became best-known for a quote overheard by a housekeeper: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes." She died in 2007 at age 87.