Astor's son charged with robbing estate

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | November 28, 2007 | A.P.

[durasell]

What an astor-hole!

[Kolokotronis]

What useless people.

[xtinct]

Jail the elite n.i.t.w.i.t.

[Kimmers]

Shame on all of them..

[Flash Bazbeaux]

I wonder if Francis X. Morrissey, Jr., was any relation to this guy:

Whenever I think about [Ted] Kennedy and judges, I think about his support for Boston Municipal Court Judge Francis X. Morrissey. In September of 1965, President Johnson nominated Morrissey as a U. S. District Judge for Massachusetts. Teddy Kennedy was the Congressional sponsor of this turkey.

How bad was Morrissey? He was so bad that Bernard Segal, a spokesman for the American Bar Association, said of him: “From the standpoint of legal training, legal experience and legal ability, we have not had any case where these factors were so lacking - and I say so to my deep regret.” Massachusetts Chief Federal District Court Judge Charles Wyzanski said the “obvious fact” was that “the only discernible ground for the nomination of Judge Morrissey is his service to the Kennedy family.” And the former aide to President Kennedy, Theodore Sorensen, said that Morrissey was a “self-confessed pol” and a “political confidence man.”

[kittymyrib]

It would be an interesting experiment were children not allowed to inherit more than $100,000 of money and property from their parents. Wonder how many of the Kennedys, Fords, Astors etc. would be able to make it in this world without yearly income from their tax-free foundations.

[oh8eleven]

What useless people.
Really? And your contributions to society are ........?

Brooke Astor
"Vincent Astor reportedly once told his wife that when he died, she would have "a hell of a good time" giving away his fortune. He died of a heart attack in 1959, and over the next four decades she did indeed give it all away. "Money is like manure," she often said. "It should be spread around."

"Astor gave millions to the Bronx Zoo, International Rescue Committee, the Fresh Air Fund, Lighthouse for the Blind, the Maternity Center Association, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library, among other recipients, large and small. All told, she gave away about $195 million."

[Kolokotronis]

Could be his son, but who knows?

[CT]

That family has fallen a long way from it’s Oregon namesake — Astoria. Too much money will do that to you.

[Kolokotronis]

“Really? And your contributions to society are ........?”

You don’t expect an answer to that rude question, do you 0811?! Surely you were brought up better than that, or is it your purpose to embarrass your parents?

I knew some of the Astors and their crowd. I stick by my comment...useless people.

[Syberyenta]

Mrs. Astor was a jewel, and New York will miss her.

I wouldn’t give you tuppence for the rest.

The NYPost today (of course) full page picture of windblown SonnyBoy with headline
“BAD HEIR DAY”

[L.N. Smithee]

You don’t expect an answer to that rude question, do you 0811?!

He expected an answer to your rude comment.

What did the Astors do to you?

[durasell]

She accomplished a lot in her life.

[billorites]

The shameless Freepers who are not above dancing on a dead woman's grave might enjoy this sinful, and delightfully catty, compilation of dirt and dish from The Intelligencer.

[Gay State Conservative]

Reading a story like this I ask myself “how much money is enough?” Geeze...you can live very comfortably indeed on 5 million in most parts of the country.In some parts of the country you’d need more.....10 or maybe even 15 million.Manhattan,I suspect,is such a place.So why bother rob the woman...your own mother...of money that you need never spend?

[durasell]

Because by leading a certain lifestyle you can spend $10 million in Manhattan in a single year. It’s not easy and requires a lot of hard work, but it can be done.

[Sawdring]

Just because she has money that was not earned by her is no reason to dislike her. But I suppose she was the Lillian Rearden of her day, giving her money and approval to folks like Balph Eubank, Cuffy Meigs, and Orren Boyle.

[Graybeard58]

you can live very comfortably indeed on 5 million in most parts of the country.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "comfortable". I live quite well on a whole lot less than that. I don't have a maid or a butler or a gardener but I don't want them either. Well, I could use a little help in the fall at canning time but just try finding an illegal alien when you really need one.

[Gay State Conservative]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "comfortable". I live quite well on a whole lot less than that.

As do I.That's why I said "quite comfortably indeed".

I don't have a maid or a butler or a gardener but I don't want them either.

Nor do I.The point I was trying to make is that when you're up in the rarefied air that he surely what sense is there in stealing from your own mother?