Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Judge To Astor's Son: "Such Abundance...Such Incredible Sadness"
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 22, 2009
Modified Dec 22, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 22, 2009
Modified Dec 22, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, Justice A. Kirke Bartley sentenced Anthony Marshall to one to three years in prison, for crimes related to stealing the fortune of his mother, the late philanthropist Brooke Astor. Bartley said, "It is a paradox to me that such abundance has led to such incredible sadness. What would [Brooke Artor] say if she were here? Would she blanch at the spectacle?"
The NY Times reports that the "sentence covered the most serious of the 14 counts on which he was convicted: first-degree grand larceny, for giving himself a retroactive lump-sum raise of about $1 million for managing his mother’s finances. Justice Bartley also gave Mr. Marshall a one-year sentences for each of the 13 other counts, to run at the same time as the longer sentence."
Bartley also remarked on Marshall's wife Charlene (prosecutors alleged that her greed prompted Marshall to maneuver for more money), "It is my view that [lawyer Francis X.] Morrissey and Mr. Marshall -- and, for that matter, Charlene Marshall as well -- are inextricably linked in the evolution of the acts that ultimately resulted in the convictions." And the Daily News' Michael Daly notes that Marshall's service as a Marine during World War II saved him from a harsher sentence; Bartley said, "That sacrifice alone entitles you to the gratitude of this entire country, and there is nothing that will ever diminish that. And that weighs very heavily in my decision in this case."
Marshall, who is 85, can remain free on bail while appealing the conviction. But if he does go to prison, he would go to a senior citizens-style prison, not a lockup like Sing Sing.
Tagged
Anthony Marshall
Astor trial
Brooke Astor
grand larceny
sentencing
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A reliably Republican part of NJ, until ICE came to town
The Trump administration’s plan to convert a warehouse in Roxbury into an ICE detention center has upended local politics ahead of the midterm elections.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
NYC school integration debate exposes tensions between Black parents and Mamdani
Some see a blind spot when it comes to the representation of Black New Yorkers in Mamdani's administration and agenda.
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
NYC school integration debate exposes tensions between Black parents and Mamdani
Some see a blind spot when it comes to the representation of Black New Yorkers in Mamdani's administration and agenda.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
By
Giulia Heyward
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .