Helmsley, Leona

Helmsley, Leona (Mindy) (b. Rosenthal)

(1920–  ) business executive; born in New York City. Herself a real estate executive, she married real estate tycoon Harry Helmsley (1972), who owned hotels, apartment buildings, and commercial properties. She became president of Helmsley Hotels (1980) and appeared as the "Queen" in high-profile, high-ego ad campaigns. She was convicted of tax evasion, received a four-year sentence (1989), and went to jail in 1992; she was released in 1994.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.