The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty (85 page)

I also referenced the written decision of Los Angeles Superior Court judge Jack W. Swink in the case of
Constance Francesca Hilton v. The Estate of Conrad N. Hilton
, (March 28, 1980); “In the Court of Appeal—Second Appellate District, State of California: Estate of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Constance Francesca Hilton (Appellant) vs. William Barron Hilton, et. al (Respondents)” (no date), authored by Myron Harpole and James E. Bates; and “Order Determining Heirship, Estate of Conrad Nicholson Hilton by Judge Ronald B. Swearinger” (April 13, 1983).

Television programs referenced:
Entertainment Tonight
, interview with Francesca Hilton, June 29, 2007;
Entertainment Tonight
, interview with Francesca Hilton, August 19, 2008.

NOTES

The transcripts published in “ ‘Insane Delusions,’ ” “Zsa Zsa’s Deposition,” and “Smoking Gun?” are directly from the depositions given by Constance Francesca Hilton, Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara, and Willard Kramer.

As a matter of interest, in “Reporter’s Transcript—Sari Gabor Hilton, sometimes known as ZsaZsa Sari Hilton vs. Conrad Hilton,” by John F. Brill, official court reporter, (September 17, 1946), it is noted that Zsa Zsa was asked by the judge, “How many times during that summer [of 1946] did the defendant [Hilton] come to see you there [in New York]?”

She answers: “About twice.”

“During the entire summer?”

“Yes.”

Gabor’s sworn testimony—which is memorialized in these papers before Francesca’s birth—could very well address the notion (posed in “Smoking Gun?”) that Conrad Hilton was actually in New York in both April
and
July 1946.

The quotes from Zsa Zsa Gabor and Frances Kelly Hilton in “A Surprise Visitor” were culled directly from the deposition given by Frances Kelly Hilton. Also, I referenced my interview with Phyllis Davis Bradley, to whom this story was told by Frances Kelly Hilton.

Of additional interest, in Francesca’s deposition she testified, “I had discussions with other family members who had indicated to me that during the last years of his life, my father was unable to understand what, if any, position he held with the Hilton Hotels organization, and had to be reminded or directed as to what his position or function was at a given point of time.” However, Barron Hilton in his deposition disagreed: “[Conrad Hilton] was active even in the year 1978. I discussed with him or business on a day-to-day basis. He was particularly interested in what our earnings reports were indicating. He constantly was on the phone with the stockbrokers determining the value of Hilton stock.”

Also, Francesca testified that she had “just recently” learned that Conrad had done an investigation into her paternity (presumably speaking about the one he did back in 1947 when the investigator telephoned Barron mistakenly, instead of Conrad). She said, “I was informed by the lawyers.” Also, the first time she ever saw the letters and telegrams between her mother and Conrad suggesting that Zsa Zsa had some sort of secret was when she filed her legal action against the estate. She also said that she had no idea that Conrad had ever expressly disowned her in any of his wills, nor had she ever heard that Conrad had given her his last name “only to protect her,” as he wrote in his letter to Olive Wakeman and Bentley Ryan (see the chapter “ ‘
Just in Case
’ ”). According to attorney Myron Harpole, she had never even seen the letter until it came to her attorneys during the discovery process. It was new—and surprising—information to her. Of course, it was precisely this letter that the judge specifically noted in his ruling, saying that it demonstrated that Conrad knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote it. It does beg the question: Would Francesca have filed her lawsuit against the estate if she had been aware of all of this information?

Additionally, regarding Francesca’s paternity:

In the document “In the Court of Appeal—Second Appellate District, State of California: Estate of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Constance Francesca Hilton (Appellant) vs. William Barron Hilton, et. al (Respondents),” authored by Myron Harpole and James E. Bates, the lawyers noted, “Whatever may have been Conrad N. Hilton’s doubts about Contestant’s parentage, from 1955 he acknowledged her as his daughter in every one if his wills. As a matter of law, this designation, which was consistent over 18 years, should be the end of the matter. Unfortunately, Contestant’s religious delusion theory that Conrad N. Hilton acknowledged her as a daughter in an attempt to conceal his
true
belief that she was not, compels us to examine whether there was any reason for doubt about Contestant’s parentage. In fact, Zsa Zsa Gabor by her actions and admissions contributed to possible beliefs and doubts about the paternity of Contestant.”

The attorneys then pointed out a passage in Zsa Zsa’s book
How to Catch a Man, How to Keep a Man, How to Get Rid of a Man
, pp. 63–64. They wrote, “She related that she had a ‘before-marriage-honeymoon’ with actor George Sanders while she was still married to Hilton: ‘It worked out beautifully. We drove his car all across the United States from Los Angeles to New York via Florida. The best laugh we had was in Palm Beach. We stayed at the Biltmore Hotel, which belonged to Connie Hilton, who was still my husband, but we were separated. After our stay there in a lovely suite, when George went to the front desk to pay the bill they told him, ‘There is no charge. Mrs. Hilton goes with the compliments of the house.’ ”

However, when Zsa Zsa was asked about the passage during her deposition, she responded by saying, “That was a joke book, written for me by two other women. It did not pretend to be and was not factual or accurate in relating events of my life.”

In “Order Determining Heirship” (April 13, 1983), Estate of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Judge Ronald B. Swearinger concluded, “It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that: 1. Constance Francesca Hilton is not entitled to any distribution from the estate of Conrad Nicholson Hilton, the decedent and 2. The residue of the estate of Conrad Nicholson Hilton is now distributable solely to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.”

PART FOURTEEN. HEIR APPARENT

Barron’s Option/A Windfall for Barron?/The Francesca Factor/Each Other/Eric and Pat Divorce/Barron Is Denied

Interviews conducted: Timothy Barrows (October 4, 2012); Patricia Skipworth Hilton (April 5, 2012); Donald Trump (July 31, 2012); Myron Harpole (August 15, 2012; August 17, 2012; August 20, 2012).

Volumes referenced:
The Man Who Bought the Waldorf
by Thomas Ewing Dabney;
Conrad N. Hilton, Hotelier
by Mildred Houghton Comfort;
The Art of the Deal
by Donald Trump.

Articles referenced: “Hilton: The Stuff of a Hotel Man,”
Newsweek
cover story on Conrad Hilton, September 27, 1954; Christopher P. Anderson, “The Barron of Las Vegas Is a Buttoned-Down Hilton,”
People
, September 8, 1975; “Biographical Sketch of Conrad Nicholson Hilton,” prepared by Public Relations Department, Hilton Hotels Corporation, December 1977; Peter Lester, “When This Hotel Barron Says He’s Staying at the Hilton, That Means He’ll Be at Home,”
People
, September 28, 1981; David Johnston and Al Delugach, “Fight over the Estate of Conrad N. Hilton Gets Increasingly Bitter,”
Los Angeles Times
, March 4, 1986; Bill Johnson, “Golden Nugget Offers to Buy Stake in Hilton,”
Wall Street Journal
, April 1, 1986; Al Delugach, “Hilton’s Lawyer, Son, Clash over Hotelier’s Intent,”
Los Angeles Times
, April 2, 1986; “Appeal Is Planned on Hilton Ruling,” Associated Press, April 22, 1986; Marcia Chambers, “The Hilton Will in Court: Heirs Fight Foundation,”
New York Times
, June 16, 1986; Alice Garrard, “Q & A with Steven M. Hilton, President and CEO of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,”
Philanthropy News Digest
, July 3, 2007.

Legal documents referenced: “Last Will and Testament of Conrad N. Hilton” (October 31, 1973); “Contestant Constance Francesca Hilton’s Responses to Defendants William Barron Hilton and James E. Bates Interrogatories” (May 29, 1979); “Deposition of Zsa Zsa Gabor O’Hara” (June 14, 1979; July 9, 1979; July 10, 1979); “Deposition of James E. Bates” (September 20, 1979); “Deposition of William Barron Hilton” (September 24, 1979); “Deposition of Frances Kelly Hilton” (October 19, 1979); “Sworn Declaration of Robert D. Walker” (February 13, 1980); “Declaration of Robert D. Walker in Response to Opposition to Motion for Leave to Amend Will Contest” (March 27, 1980); “Summary of Argument (a trial brief which sets forth Barron Hilton’s summarization of evidence in his contesting of Conrad Hilton’s will),” by Myron Harpole (no date).

The following depositions were incomplete, with pages having gone missing over the years, including the first page with the date of the deposition. For my purposes, I utilized the pages that were available to me:

Deposition of Dr. W. L. Marxer (Hilton’s physician for twenty-eight years, cosigned final will).

Deposition of Dale Parris Corsiglia (employee of the Hilton organization for fifty years, cosigned final will).

Deposition of Dorothy Laverne Sloback (Hilton Hotels employee for twenty years, cosigned final will).

Television programs referenced:
Larry King Live
, interview with Zsa Zsa Gabor, November 26, 1991;
Conrad Hilton: Innkeeper to the World
, Arts & Entertainment, 2005;
Biography: Conrad Hilton
, CNBC, 2010.

NOTES

The business associate who witnessed the meeting in “The Francesca Factor” wishes not to be identified.

The conversation between Zsa Zsa Gabor and Francesca Hilton in “Each Other” was witnessed by Timothy Barrows, and was reconstructed based on his first-person account.

Donald Trump Makes an Overture/Hostile Takeover?/Trump Meets Hilton/Trump to the Rescue/Resolution

Interviews conducted: Mark Young (July 20, 2012); Donald Trump (July 31, 2012); Myron Harpole (August 15, 2012; August 17, 2012; August 20, 2012); Virginia “Gini” Tangalakis (September 24, 2012).

Volumes referenced:
The Art of the Deal
by Donald Trump;
When the Mob Ran Vegas: Stories of Money, Mayhem and Murder
by Steve Fischer;
The Las Vegas Chronicles: The Inside Story of Sin City, Celebrities, Special Players and Fascinating Casino Owners
by Andrew James McLean;
Sharks in the Desert
by John L. Smith;
Super Casino: Inside the New Las Vegas
by Pete Earley;
Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas’ Legendary Casinos
by Tom Breitling and Cal Fussman;
Boardwalk Empire
by Nelson Johnson and Terence Winter;
Sun, Sin, Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas
, revised and expanded, by Geoff Schumacher;
Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn
by John L. Smith;
The War at the Shore: Donald Trump, Steve Wynn and the Epic Battle to Save Atlantic City
by Richard D. Bronson;
Hilton Hotels Corporation: A Strategic Analysis
by Bethany Su-Lan Liou.

Articles referenced: Thomas Moore, “Barron Hilton Fights for Hilton Hotels,”
Fortune
, May 27, 1985; David Johnston and Al Delugach, “Fight over Conrad Hilton Estate Gets Increasingly Bitter,”
Los Angeles Times
, March 4, 1986; Al Delugach, “Hilton’s Lawyer, Son, Clash over Hotelier’s Intent,”
Los Angeles Times
, April 2, 1986; “Appeal Is Planned on Hilton Ruling,” Associated Press, April 22, 1986; Marcia Chambers, “The Hilton Will in Court: Heirs Fight Foundation,”
New York Times
, June 16, 1986; Andrea Adelson, “Hilton Hotel Chairman Wins Ruling on Stock,”
New York Times
, March 31, 1988; Robert Wrubel, “Rumors at the Inn: The Wall Street Sharks Are Circling Hilton Hotels, Eager to Break Up the Family Dynasty,”
Financial World
, April 4, 1989; Seth Lubove, “Hilton’s Head,”
Forbes
, March 8, 1993; Melanie F. Gibbs, “Hilton Hotels Corp: The Sleeping Giant Awakes,”
National Real Estate Investor
, February 1997; “Honeymoon Hotelier: Hilton’s Stock Quickly Doubled,”
Financial World
, January 21, 1997; Ida Picker, “Saying Goodbye to ITT,”
Institutional Investor
, January 1998; Mary Whitford and Robert Selwitz, “A Deal in the Cards,”
Hotel and Motel Management
, October 4, 1999; Jeff Higley “Hilton’s Portfolio Set for Long Haul,”
Hotel and Motel Management
, February 19, 2001.