The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty (87 page)

I want to thank my sister, Roslyn Barnett, and my very good friend Jillian DeVaney, both of whom read this book in early manuscript form and gave me the positive reinforcement I needed to know that this really was a story worth sharing with my loyal readership. I appreciate it very much.

Thanks also to: Andy Steinlen; George Solomon; Jeff Hare; Andy Hirsch; Danny Graham; Ryron and Rener Gracie and the Gracie Academy, Beverly Hills; Nolan Blackford; Martha Vamos; Samuel Munoz; Bruce Rheins and Dawn Westlake; Mike P. Bradley; Jeff Cook; Aaron Lawrence; David Gunther; Maggie Seawright; Daniel and Erika Feser; Nolan Blackford; Erik and Connie Rodriguez and George and Vivian Rodriguez; Barb Mueller; Phil Farinola; Roman D’Angelo; William Rodriguez; Jared Murphy; Rita Bosico, Lisa Young; Michael Bradley; Al Kramer; Brandon Schmook; Richard Tyler Jordan; Steve Ivory; Hazel and Rob Kragulac; Manuel Gallegos; Andy Skurow; Brian Newman; Scherrie Payne; Freda Payne; Susaye Greene; Cindy Birdsong; Lynda Laurence; Barbara Ormsby; John Passantino; Linda DeStefano; David Spiro; Billy Masters; Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Steinlen; David and Frances Snyder; Abby and Maddy Snyder; Maribeth and Don Rothell; Mary Alvarez; Marlene Morris; Kac Young; Frank Rich; Leslie Miller; Yvette Jarecki; Phil Filomowicz; Jonathan Fousek; Robin Roth; Joe Scott; Rick Temple; Mary Downey; Felipe Echeri; Alexandra Wescourt; Laura Fagin; Charles Thomson; Samar Habib; Corey Sheppard; Deb Armstrong; Susan Kaya; Sal Pinto; and Misha D. Fisher.

I have always been so blessed to have a family as supportive as mine. My thanks and love go out to: Roslyn and Bill Barnett and Jessica and Zachary, Rocco and Rosemaria Taraborrelli and Rocco and Vincent, and Arnold Taraborrelli. Special thanks to my father, Rocco. A big smile, also, for Spencer.

All of my books are written with my mother, Rose Marie, in mind. We miss her very much.

Finally, I must also acknowledge those readers of mine who have stuck by me over the course of my career. I am eternally grateful to anyone who takes the time to pick up one of my books and read it.

Thank you so much,

J. Randy Taraborrelli

Winter 2013

ALSO BY J. RANDY TARABORRELLI

AFTER CAMELOT:

A Personal History of the Kennedy Family, 1968 to the Present

JACKIE, ETHEL, JOAN:

Women of Camelot

ONCE UPON A TIME:

Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier

ELIZABETH

THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE

MICHAEL JACKSON:

The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story, 1958–2009

Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.

To receive special offers, bonus content, and news about our latest ebooks and apps, sign up for our newsletters.

Sign Up

Or visit us at
hachettebookgroup.com/newsletters

For more about this book and author, visit Bookish.com.

*
In 1991, Zsa Zsa explained to Larry King how she got her name: “Zsa Zsa I got in Budapest. I was originally named Sari Gabor after a famous actress in Budapest [Sari Fedak] whose nickname was also Zsa Zsa.” Technically, the spelling of her name is one Hungarian word, as in Zsazsa, and this is the manner in which she and her family members—and later Conrad Hilton—would write it.

*
It’s worth noting that this is the only mention of Eric Hilton by name in Conrad Hilton’s 1957 autobiography,
Be My Guest
.

*
“When Hilton went on the stock exchange, like any company there were upper-level employees who were able to buy the stocks at a little bit of a reduced rate before it went public,” observed Mark Young, of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. “Someone wrote to Hilton and asked him why the rate was so exceptionally low. He wrote back explaining that he wanted not just the general managers and high-level executives to be able to buy, but also the cleaning staff, the cooks, the mechanics—the medium- and lower-level staff—to have the opportunity to buy as well. He believed strongly that people who worked for the company should have the opportunity to have some stake in it.”

*
Maxwell House coffee heir Robert Neal was a well-known man-about-town, once recognized by United Press International as one of the ten most eligible bachelors alongside Howard Hughes and Marlon Brando. A good friend of Peter Lawford’s, he was Peter’s best man when Lawford married Pat Kennedy, sister of the president. He also arranged their honeymoon cruise. He recalled that he and Nicky were so close, they used to call themselves “the Gold Dust Twins.”

*
Mack Saxon died of a heart attack in May of 1949 at the age of forty-seven. Following his death, Mary moved back to El Paso.

*
Trish’s comments make sense, considering that she was just ten when Nicky and Elizabeth married.

*
Donald Hubbs, in an interview with the
Los Angeles Times
in 1986, suggested that he was actually the one who proposed to Bates the language in the will that was ultimately disputed. Also, during the ensuing litigation, Hubbs testified that Conrad Hilton asked his advice as a tax expert on whether he should sign the will with the provision granting Barron Hilton the option. Hubbs said he advised Conrad Hilton to sign.

*
It bears noting that Barron Hilton did finally secure his gaming license in Atlantic City in 1991, ironically enough taking over Steve Wynn’s Golden Nugget. When Barron purchased the property, Frank J. Dodd, who was a new member of the commission, said, “It was a major blunder to deny a casino license to Hilton [in 1985]. The industry has since fallen on hard times in Atlantic City; the decision sent out a hostile signal to investors about how arbitrary and unreasonable New Jersey gambling officials could be. I don’t think I would have denied him a license. That was a major turning point in the history of Atlantic City. It sent out a bad signal.” (Barron would rename the hotel the Atlantic City Hilton. However, still disenchanted with Atlantic City, he would sell the property a short time later.)

*
Nicky’s son Conrad nicholson and Rick’s son Conrad Hughes are both known as Conrad III.

CONTENTS

1. Cover
   
2. Title Page
   
3. Welcome
   
4. Dedication
   
5. Prologue
   
6. PART ONE / Conrad
   
   1. Curse of the Ambitious
      
   2. Humble Beginnings
      
   3. Hotelier
      
   4. Losing It All
      
   5. Georgia on His Mind
      
   6. Loneliness at the Top
      
   7. Buying the Town House
      
   8. Courting Zsa Zsa
      
   9. Catholic Stumbling Block
      
   10. Conrad Breaks the News to Zsa Zsa
       
7. PART TWO / Mary
   
   1. The First Mrs. Hilton
      
   2. Business Affairs
      
8. PART THREE / Zsa Zsa
   
   1. Conrad’s Inner Turmoil
      
   2. For Love or Money
      
   3. The Roosevelt
      
   4. Marriage: His
      
   5. Marriage: Hers
      
   6. A Frustrating Business Deal
      
   7. The Plaza
      
   8. An Ominous Sign
      
   9. A Priest’s Visit
      
   10. Up in Flames
       
   11. He Never Should Have Done It
       
   12. What Would It Take?
       
   13. Zsa Zsa Is Institutionalized
       
   14. The Divorce
       
   15. Buying the Stevens and the Palmer House
       
   16. Zsa Zsa’s Daughter
       
9. PART FOUR / Sons of the Father
   
   1. Transition
      
   2. Raising the Rich
      
   3. An Offer He Could Refuse
      
   4. The Question of Francesca
      
10. PART FIVE / Elizabeth
    
    1. Beautiful Dreamer
       
    2. Enter: Elizabeth Taylor
       
    3. The Man Who Bought the Waldorf
       
    4. Fast Worker
       
    5. Nicky Takes Elizabeth to Texas
       
    6. A Party to Celebrate the Caribe Hilton
       
    7. Nicky and Elizabeth Marry
       
    8. Honeymoon from Hell
       
    9. Elizabeth Suffers a Miscarriage
       
    10. Divorce—Hollywood Style
        
11. PART SIX / Spoils of the Rich and Famous
    
    1. America’s Dad
       
    2. Casa Encantada
       
    3. “He’s Getting Worse”
       
    4. A Baroness Named Betsy
       
    5. The Shadow of Her Smile
       
    6. If Only
       
    7. Zsa Zsa Finds Her Niche
       
    8. Filling Elizabeth’s Shoes
       
    9. Assault
       
    10. Magic Words
        
    11. Mamie
        
    12. Marilyn’s Party
        
    13. Dinner at the Manse
        
12. PART SEVEN / The Big Boon
    
    1. The Hilton Junket
       
    2. Barron Climbs the Ladder of Success
       
    3. Nicky’s Fast-Paced Life
       
    4. Eric: From Out of the Shadows
       
    5. A Troubling Conversation About Francesca
       
    6. Natalie Wood’s Advice
       
    7. Trish
       
    8. “The Woman to Give My Children Life”
       
    9. Nicky and Trish Marry
       
13. PART EIGHT / For Love or Money
    
    1. Zsa Zsa Is Not Wanted
       
    2. “The Most Beautiful Woman”
       
    3. Zsa Zsa Teaches Trish About the Hiltons
       
    4. Success
       
    5. Sibling Rivalry on the Rise
       
    6. Francesca’s Summer of Discontent
       
    7. Olive’s Appeal to Zsa Zsa
       
    8. “Zsa Zsa Who?”
       
    9. The Simple Life
       
    10. “It’s Going to Be Okay, Brother”
        
14. PART NINE / In His Father’s House
    
    1. Nicky Causing Problems
       
    2. The TWA Merger
       
    3. “Tired of Being Misunderstood”
       
    4. Nothing Personal
       
    5. Showdown
       
    6. A Done Deal
       
    7. Trish Enters Conrad’s Den
       
    8. Nicky Considers Suing His Family
       
    9. From Kings to Paupers
       
    10. Trish Tries Again with Conrad
        
    11. Marilyn Hilton’s Plea to Elizabeth Taylor
        
    12. Elizabeth Makes a Decision
        
    13. A Grasp at Happiness
        
    14. The Death of Nicky Hilton
        
    15. The Wake at Casa Encantada
        
15. PART TEN / Secrets
    
    1. Conrad’s Warning to Zsa Zsa
       
    2. A Shocking Revelation
       
    3. Francesca’s Requests
       
    4. “Just in Case”
       
    5. The Challenge
       
16. PART ELEVEN / Frances
    
    1. At Long Last Love
       
    2. Frannie
       
    3. A Gentle Nudge
       
    4. Best Friend’s Advice
       
    5. Family Concerns
       
    6. The Thorn in His Side
       
    7. The Marital Agreement
       
    8. Conrad and Frances Marry
       
17. PART TWELVE / House of Hilton
    
    1. Life at the Mansion
       
    2. “Spoiled Fruit”
       
    3. Clearing the Air
       
    4. Barron, Eric, and Francesca
       
    5. Francesca’s Idea
       
    6. The Great Adventure of His Life
       
    7. Understanding Zsa Zsa
       
    8. Death’s Door
       
    9. Conrad Hilton: Rest in Peace
       
    10. The Way He Wanted It
        
18. PART THIRTEEN / The Fight of Their Lives
    
    1. Francesca Contests the Will
       
    2. “Insane Delusion”
       
    3. Zsa Zsa’s Deposition
       
    4. Smoking Gun?
       
    5. A Surprise Visitor
       
    6. Judge’s Decision
       
19. PART FOURTEEN / Heir Apparent
    
    1. Barron’s Option
       
    2. A Windfall for Barron?
       
    3. The Francesca Factor
       
    4. Each Other
       
    5. Eric and Pat Divorce
       
    6. Barron Is Denied
       
    7. Donald Trump Makes an Overture
       
    8. Hostile Takeover?
       
    9. Trump Meets Hilton
       
    10. Trump to the Rescue
        
    11. Resolution
        
20. PART FIFTEEN / Fini
    
    1. Zsa Zsa’s Lapse in Judgment
       
    2. Francesca: “The Original Hilton Heiress”
       
    3. Paris
       
    4. “Rather Silly”?
       
    5. How Did Conrad Do It?
       
    6. End of an Era
       
    7. Marilyn Hilton: Rest in Peace
       
    8. On the Town with Paris
       
21. Epilogue: A Final Toast
    
22. Photos
    
23. About the Author
    
24. Acknowledgments and Source Notes
    
    1. Acknowledgments
       
    2. Sources and Other Notes
       
25. Personal Acknowledgments
    
26. Also by J. Randy Taraborrelli
    
27. Newsletters
    
28. Copyright