BRIAN J. BEATRICE

In my 10 year tenure in downtown NYC, we regularly commented about the eccentricities of our landlord, William Gottlieb. He was a man who owned, at the time, an estimated $400 million in real estate in downtown, yet drove around in a beat up station wagon with smashed out windows. He passed away in 1999 and our future lay uncertain as his, now estimated over $1 billion, estate lay in jeopardy. The New York Times Magazine ran an interesting, albeit lengthy, article last Sunday, April 6, 2006, about him, his estate, and the perils of living and dying without a written will. On a personal note, both of my apartment buildings are pictured on the front page of the article.

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