Gilded Age mansion that housed Oleg Cassini’s atelier — a ‘glistening survivor’ — sees another $5M price cut

The House of Cassini — an eight-story Gilded Age mansion connected nan Upper East Side that erstwhile housed nan atelier of Jackie Kennedy’s favourite manner designer, Oleg Cassini, successful its atrium — has received different monolithic $5 cardinal value chop.

It’s now asking $49.5 million — down from its $65 cardinal inquire conscionable 4 months ago. It was astir precocious asking $54.5 cardinal past month, which was down from its $58.5 cardinal value tag successful August.

The precocious Cassini, nan grandson of a Russian-Italian count and nan tsar’s past ambassador to China earlier nan Russian Revolution, was known arsenic a playboy. He was erstwhile engaged to Grace Kelly, whom he described arsenic a “top apical girl” and had dated women including Marilyn Monroe, whom he described arsenic a “little polo pony,” according to a 2010 Vanity Fair article.

The Beaux-Arts beauty, astatine 15 E. 63rd St., was designed by renowned architect John H. Duncan.

The designer was famed for creating Grant’s Tomb — nan monolithic domed mausoleum successful Morningside Heights. It’s last resting spot for General Ulysses S. Grant, nan 18th US president elected aft he led nan conflict against nan Confederacy to triumph nan Civil War, and his wife, Julia. 

The East 63rd Street mansion has besides been the site of its ain 30-year civilian war. 

In 1984, Marianne Nestor Cassini — whose concealed matrimony to Oleg Cassini from 1971 until his decease successful 2006, astatine property 92, was only revealed aft Oleg passed distant — and her sister, Peggy Nestor, bought nan mansion for an chartless sum. Back then, it had been carved up into astatine slightest 7 rental units. The sisters planned to toggle shape it backmost into a single-family mansion, but they had a rent-stabilized hold-out.

Celebrated interior designer Thomas Britt had moved into a monolithic 3,000-square-foot triplex successful nan building successful 1971, erstwhile he was paying a specified $700 a period — and he refused to leave.

By 2017, Britt was paying $3,025 a month. At nan time, a akin market-rate portion would person fetched astatine slightest $15,000 a month. The sisters and Britt were still duking it retired successful lodging tribunal when, successful 2018, Britt dropped nan conflict and moved retired — aft nan sisters accused him of chiefly surviving successful nan Hamptons, according to The Post. 

The pursuing year, successful 2019, a owe lender revenge a foreclosure action. But Nestor revenge for bankruptcy a time earlier nan slated sale. 

By then, Cassini’s widow was in another war and was moreover jailed doubly for refusing to follow tribunal orders successful a tortured ineligible battle over Oleg’s $55 cardinal fortune. According to papers revenge successful Manhattan Supreme Court by a nationalist administrator, Marianne was accused of “malfeasance, misconduct and self-serving abuses,” and stalling connected settling nan property for truthful agelong that Oleg’s daughters by legendary character Gene Tierney — Christina and Daria — some died without getting their rightful information of his asset. 

They passed distant penniless, according to reports. Thanks to Christina’s challenge, Marianne was stripped of her domiciled arsenic administrator of nan property — and her 4 children carried connected nan conflict for their inheritance.

Oleg Cassini’s grandson, Alexandre Belmont — Christina’s boy — besides successfully sued to unit nan waste of different townhouse that Oleg owned and wherever Marianne was domiciled successful Gramercy Park. That townhouse, astatine 135 E. 19th St., yet sold astatine auction for $5 cardinal successful 2022. The pursuing year, it was backmost connected nan marketplace for $13.95 million. The value was reduced to $11.95 cardinal past year. The property besides includes an Oyster Bay property astatine 313 McCouns Lane — nan taxable of Marianne’s eviction and a court-ordered waste — and different spot successful Norwalk, Conn., connected Point Road.

By 2022, Marianne Cassini had besides revenge her ain $350 cardinal suit against Nassau County officials whom she accused of trying to loot nan $55 cardinal property done “corrupt” and “illegal” actions, according to The Post’s reports.

While nan tribunal cases stay unresolved, nan East 63rd Street mansion went connected nan marketplace past summer. Not galore Gilded Age mansions stay arsenic good preserved arsenic that gem, arsenic galore were torn down successful nan 1920s. This 1 is a “glistening survivor, 1 of nan fewer remaining and astir architecturally intact of its Gilded Age splendor connected nan Upper East Side,” notes nan listing.

The limestone home, conscionable disconnected Central Park betwixt Fifth and Madison avenues, was built 123 years agone for financier and philanthropist Elias Asiel. It still boasts original details, including a marble staircase, 14 fireplaces, floral garlands, arched French windows, a information eating room, wood paneling, moldings pinch a cartouche successful each area of nan ceiling, achromatic marble and herringbone floors. 

At 25 feet wide, nan 18,000-square-foot mansion comes pinch 7 bedrooms, 8 afloat bathrooms, 4 half baths and an elevator. There’s besides a wood-paneled library, a gym, a conservatory and 3 terraces on pinch a sitting room pinch double-height ceilings and a copper mansard roof. The eight-story spot includes 2 levels beneath ground. 

“It’s 1 of nan astir beautiful townhouses successful New York, pinch nan highest value of craftsmanship, materials, imagination and taste,” said listing agent Louise Beit of Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s really a masterpiece by Duncan, 1 of nan finest architects astatine nan move of nan century. The boiserie, exquisite ceiling cartouches and sculptures, bold moldings on nan separator of nan ceiling — successful immoderate places location are 3 tiers of moldings that are rather exceptional and truthful confident.”

The rooms, she added, “are afloat blown experiences, not conscionable live-in walk-through spaces.”

Details besides see 17-foot-high ceilings connected nan “drawing room” floor, which includes nan room and landing pinch a musician’s assemblage overlooking it. There’s besides an oval eating room pinch wood paneling. The offering besides features “one of nan astir architecturally important limestone facades embellished pinch sculptural garlands complete nan windows,” on pinch nan floor-to-ceiling windows and Central Park views. 

The 2 below-ground levels are original. The first — “Sub Level 1” — whitethorn person been nan original room pinch a ample room and fireplace and 11-foot-high vaulted ceilings pinch ceramic tiles, Beit said — while “Sub Level 2” is presently an agency and could beryllium converted to a pool.

The waste is taxable to tribunal approval, nan listing notes.