Elinor Gravante, 81, says her attorney son dubbed her into signing away her Connecticut vacation home. Elinor is the widow of Nicholas Gravante, Sr., who made his money representing the Lucchese and Gambino crime families.
Gravante says she believed she was signing a “do not resuscitate” when in fact she signed away her home to her son Nicholas Gravante, Jr. Gravante, Jr. is a partner to Al Gore attorney David Boies, and has represented the Andy Warhol Foundation, former CBRE Group broker Jon Zuckerman and the family of vice president Joe Biden, according to the New York Post.
“She did not understand what she was signing,” lawyers say in the Manhattan federal court lawsuit filings. “She believed she was signing a “do not resuscitate” order.”
The lawsuit also accuses Gravante Jr., and his brother and sister, of collecting nearly $600,000 in rental income from buildings in Park Slope, Bensonhurst and SoHo owned by their late father. But the children claim that their mother agreed to give them the rental income and that she is not well.
“It is unfortunate that our mother, who has been dealing with serious health issues, including memory loss, has been advised to take action that delays progress and closure,” the three Gravante children said in a statement Friday. “We love her and will continue to support her financially and emotionally through this painful period.” [NYP] –Christopher Cameron