Linda S. Stein

Linda Stein (1945 - October 30, 2007) was an American rock music manager and real estate broker. cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Real Estate Agent Found Slain in 5th Ave. Home. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/nyregion/01murder.html?hp |quote=A woman who helped pioneer the punk music scene, influenced the careers of Madonna and The Ramones, and went on to become known as a real estate agent to the stars was found bludgeoned to death Tuesday night in her apartment at 965 Fifth Avenue, the police said yesterday. |publisher=New York Times |date= |accessdate=2007-10-31 ]

Biography

She began her career as a teacher, but left teaching to manage the Ramones with Danny Fields. She also managed singer/songwriter Steve Forbert.

She was formerly married to and advised Seymour Stein, president of Sire Records and vice president of Warner Bros. Records, who was instrumental in launching the careers of Madonna, The Ramones, Talking Heads and The Pretenders. She was a fixture in clubs from Studio 54 to the Mudd Club and later a reliable voice in gossip columns, aided by her quick wit and fanciful way with a four-letter word.

In the 1990s, Stein left band management and became a "real estate agent to the stars." She landed mega-million-dollar apartments for Madonna, Sting, Angelina Jolie, Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley, Bruce Willis, Jann Wenner, Michael Douglas, Steven Spielberg and Elton John.

According to her friend, author Steven Gaines, Stein inspired two movie characters: the real estate agent (played by Sylvia Miles) who sells a high-rise apartment to Charlie Sheen's character in Oliver Stone's "Wall Street", and a predatory record executive in the 1998 movie "54" [ [http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/news/ny-nyreal015440932nov01,0,3942340.story Broker to the stars killed in Manhattan apartment Newsday November 1, 2007] ] .

Death

On October 30 2007, Stein was found dead in her apartment in Manhattan. The Manhattan, New York, medical examiner ruled Stein's death a homicide and attributed the cause to "blunt impact trauma to the head and neck". [ [http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26875_0_2_0_C Former 'Ramones' manager Linda Stein murdered] ]

Elton John said that he would perform in a cancer research fundraiser in Stein's honor. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/11/10/2007-11-10_aide_confesses_she_beat_linda_stein_to_d.html]

Arrest and confession of alleged assailant

On November 9 2007, the Manhattan, New York, medical examiner arrested Stein's former personal assistant Natavia Lowery. According to reports the assistant allegedly killed her boss because Stein "just kept yelling at her". [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1573938/20071109/ramones.jhtml Assistant Arrested In Murder Of Linda Stein, Ex-Ramones Manager] ]

While in police custody for questioning, police say Lowery waived her Miranda rights. She recounted her version of the events in a videotaped confession.

At a December 13, 2007 court hearing, however, the Lowery family disrupted the proceedings to loudly accuse Stein's daughter Mandy of killing her mother, and afterward Lowery's mother approached Mandy Stein, saying "You know you did it." [cite news
url=http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3995325&page=1
title=Tension, Accusations at Linda Stein Bail Hearing
date=December 13 2007
publisher=ABC News
accessdate=2007-12-13]

Non Criminal Legal Issues

It has been determined that Linda Stein did not leave a will. Under New York State law the next of kin, in this case her two daughters, inherit the estate. On December 18 2007 they filed a petition in Manhattan Surrogate's Court asking for control of Stein's estate. It was accepted the same day. The daughters have said they were considering suing her employer, high-end brokerage Prudential Douglas Elliman as well as the temporary agency that employed the woman accused of killing Stein, and the alleged killer herself [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/12302007/news/regionalnews/tragic_linda_steins_daughters_eye_suits_627832.htm Tragic Linda Stein's daughters eye suits New York Post December 30, 2007] ] .

External links

* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/02/wstein102.xml Obituary]
* [http://www.mgross.com/articles/profiles/linda-stein/ The Rap on Linda]
* [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/11/01/2007-11-01_linda_stein_was_in_tune_with_rhythm_of_n.html Linda Stein was in tune with the Rhythm of New York]
* [http://www.nypost.com/seven/10312007/news/regionalnews/fifth_ave__murder_816561.htm New York Post]
* [http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/11/remembering_linda_stein.html Remembering Linda Stein]

References