Oleg Cassini’s former UES mansion sells for $34.5M after lengthy bankruptcy battle
Photo credit: Evan Joseph for Sotheby’s International Realty
An Upper East Side townhouse tied to late fashion designer Oleg Cassini has sold for $34.5 million, bringing a years-long legal and bankruptcy battle to a close. The five-story home at 15 East 63rd Street was at the center of a high-profile dispute involving Cassini’s widow, Marianne Nestor, and her sister, Peggy Nestor, who filed for bankruptcy in 2023 after creditors moved to foreclose on the Beaux Arts limestone townhouse. The pair had filed, and lost, nearly 20 court appeals to delay the case and keep the residence, according to Crain’s.
The contentious legal battle stems from the 1984 purchase of the townhouse, which came 12 years after Marianne’s secret marriage to Cassini. Cassini is best known for designing Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ signature “pillbox-topped” look while she was first lady. He had a studio in the townhouse until his death in 2006 at age 92, according to Business Insider.
When Cassini died, a lengthy legal battle over his estate began and continues today. In 2016, a surrogate Long Island judge removed Marianne as executor, citing mismanagement, which she denied. Cassini’s clothing and perfume lines were also ordered into receivership.
According to a 2024 court filing, Marianne owes more than $133 million in civil judgments. The widow was also imprisoned for refusing to comply with court orders. As the litigation continued, additional debts accumulated against the townhouse.
In 2023, one day before a state judge scheduled the property for sale to cover $17 million in mortgage arrears, Peggy filed for bankruptcy, delaying the process. Though they initially agreed to sell the home, the sisters later sued their attorney, arguing they were too old to be evicted and that they were protected under New York rent-stabilization laws. The argument was rejected multiple times in federal bankruptcy court and by appellate judges.
Marianne sought to create a “litigation cloud,” Albert Togut, a lawyer who served as trustee for the estate, told Crain’s. This was intended to dissuade prospective buyers from moving forward with the sale and keep the home for themselves. The widow filed and lost nearly 20 appeals over the course of the foreclosure case. At one point, the sisters’ attorney withdrew from the case, and they proceeded without representation.
The sisters were evicted from the home two years ago by U.S. Marshals, who also changed the locks to prevent their reentry.
Last month, bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles approved the final liquidation plan for the home, rejecting a request by the sisters to match the buyer’s $34.5 million cash offer after they failed to demonstrate they had the funds.
The home first hit the market in 2024 for $65 million, represented by Sotheby’s. Togut later hired Brown Harris Stevens to relist the property, which went on the market for $39.5 million last January. The buyer acquired the property through the entity 63rd St Townhouse LLC and plans to live in the home, Crain’s reported.
Judge Wiles approved the bankruptcy sale on March 13. The case was closed on March 26 by Judge Jesse Furman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, who oversaw the proceedings.
Constructed in 1901 for financier and philanthropist Elias Asiel, the more than 11,000-square-foot home was designed by prominent architect John H. Duncan, who also designed Grant’s Tomb in Morningside Heights, as 6sqft previously reported.
The building’s limestone facade features floral garlands, arched windows, and three terraces beneath a copper mansard roof, including two rooftop terraces with stunning city views.
On the first floor, an entrance gallery with gleaming white marble floors is framed by 12-foot ceilings. At its center, a curved marble staircase leads to glass-paneled doors opening into a circular dining room with herringbone floors and a fireplace.
The second floor is anchored by a gallery with 17-foot ceilings and decorative moldings and cartouches. This level also includes a terrace, a conservatory, and a wood-paneled library with ornate detailing.
The third floor contains a sitting room and the primary bedroom, which features a fireplace and an en-suite bathroom beneath 12-foot ceilings. The fourth floor offers additional bedrooms and a sitting room, all with fireplaces. The fifth floor features a double-height sitting room that opens to the level above and is lit by two arched windows. Two bedrooms share an adjacent kitchenette.
On the top level is another bedroom with an en-suite bath. Double doors open onto a large terrace with panoramic Manhattan views.
[Listing details: 15 East 63rd Street at CityRealty]
[At Brown Harris Stevens by Sami Hassoumi]
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