Leona Helmsley Dies
AUGUST 21, 2007. Billionaire hotelier Leona Helmsley, the so-called "Queen of Mean" who was famously quoted as saying 'only little people pay taxes' and who later went to prison for tax evasion, died on Monday at the age of 87. She denied uttering the famous quote which nonetheless became her hallmark.
Her epic fall from New York's high society to serving 18 months behind bars captured world attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Books were written about her and her story became a 1990 TV movie starring Suzanne Pleshette.
Helmsley was a former model and twice-divorced real estate agent when she met Harry Helmsley, a multimillionaire real estate investor who was married at the time. They wed in 1972.
At the couple's zenith, Harry Helmsley was worth $5 billion. His company controlled some of New York's finest hotels and managed the Empire State Building.
In advertisements, Leona was the welcoming spokeswoman of the couple's hotel chain and billed as "the queen" of the Helmsley Palace hotel.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at 
