When Is Too Much Money a Bad Thing?

This entire saga is just heartbreaking! I've been reading about the Astors and this case for a while now with a sort of car-wreck mentality, I guess. It's awful and tragic and horrible but you can't help but look.

How much money does a person need, anyway?

Brook Astor's son, Tony Marshall, was convicted today after a very long trial, 19 weeks, which was extended in part because of Mr. Marshall's advanced age and health problems. You can go here to read the details, but the short version is that as Mrs. Astor grew older and fell more into dementia because of Alzheimers, Tony schemed to help himself to her fortune.

Tony Marshall is now 85; he's a war veteran who fought at Iwo Jima. Some blamed his wife, Charlene, for the problems. It's all too sordid.

In the last years of Mrs. Astor's life, charges of elder abuse were brought against Tony Marshall by his own son, Brooke's grandson, which led to Annette de la Renta being appointed guardian for Mrs. Astor.

In the end there are no winners here. Mrs. Astor has died, Tony is 85 and in poor health, and the family is torn apart. Money can certainly screw folks up!