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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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What Really Happened in Astor's House

Millionaire's former staff say abusive son bilked her of $60M

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(Newser) – A new book about Brooke Astor portrays the New York philanthropist as a frail, paranoid 105-year-old pressured to give up her fortune. Drawing on notes from Astor's former staff, Mrs. Astor Regrets describes son Tony Marshall's alleged bilking of her millions. Astor's staff "filled 30 journals over four years with what they described as abuse, neglect and manipulation of the Alzheimer's sufferer," writes Meryl Gordon in her book, excerpted in the New York Post.

The staff eventually told the family about Marshall's manipulations—including the day he ignored Astor's protests and dragged her down the hall to sign over $60 million in assets. Marshall and his lawyer both face trial in January. "Things were much worse than I ever could have imagined," Astor's grandson said.

Anthony D. Marshall, center, is escorted by officers in to Manhattan state supreme court, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, in New York. Marshall, the son of philanthropist Brooke Astor, was accused Tuesday of plundering his mother's $198 million estate and conspiring to have the Alzheimer's-stricken socialite sign a new will leaving...
Anthony D. Marshall, center, is escorted by officers in to Manhattan state supreme court, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, in New York. Marshall, the son of philanthropist Brooke Astor, was accused Tuesday of...   (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
Brooke Astor is seen in New York on May 1, 1997. Brooke Astor's 105th birthday was so quiet that she slept through a visit from her son at her Holly Hills estate in Westchester County.
Brooke Astor is seen in New York on May 1, 1997. Brooke Astor's 105th birthday was so quiet that she slept through a visit from her son at her Holly Hills estate in Westchester County.   (AP Photo/Serge J-F. Levy, file)
Anthony Marshall and his wife Charlene exit St. Thomas Episcopal Church following the funeral services for his mother Brooke Astor, Friday, Aug. 17, 2007, in New York. The socialite and philanthropist died earlier in the week at the age of 105.
Anthony Marshall and his wife Charlene exit St. Thomas Episcopal Church following the funeral services for his mother Brooke Astor, Friday, Aug. 17, 2007, in New York. The socialite and philanthropist...   (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)
Brooke Russell Astor, the widow of multimillionaire Vincent Astor, enters surrogate court in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in this Oct. 1, 1959 file photo. Brooke Astor, the civic leader, philanthropist and high society fixture who gave away nearly $200 million to support the city's great cultural institutions and a host of...
Brooke Russell Astor, the widow of multimillionaire Vincent Astor, enters surrogate court in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in this Oct. 1, 1959 file photo. Brooke Astor, the civic leader, philanthropist and high...   (AP Photo, File)
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