Linda S. Stein
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Short description|American music manager and real estate agent (1945–2007)}}
{{for|the sculptor and feminist|Linda Stein (artist)}}
{{lead too short|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Linda Stein
| image = Linda Stein.jpg
| caption = Stein on the closing night of the club CBGB in October 2006
| birth_name =
| birth_date = April 24, 1945
| birth_place = Bronx, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|10|30|1945|04|24}}
| death_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S.
| death_cause = Bludgeoned to death
| known_for = Co-manager of Ramones; "real estate agent to the stars"
| spouse = Seymour Stein (ex-husband)
| children = 2, including Mandy Stein
}}
Linda Stein (April 24, 1945 – October 30, 2007) was an American rock music manager and real estate broker.{{cite news|first=Bruce|last=Lambert|title=Real Estate Agent Found Slain in 5th Ave. Home.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/nyregion/01murder.html?hp|work=The New York Times|date=November 1, 2007|access-date=October 31, 2007}}
Life and career
Stein 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 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.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
Stein was 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. Their marriage ended in divorce.{{cite news |last1=Sisario |first1=Ben |title=Seymour Stein, Record Industry Giant Who Signed Big Names, Dies at 80 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/arts/music/seymour-stein-dead.html |access-date=April 24, 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=April 3, 2023}}
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.{{Cite web |last=Kolker |first=Robert |title=The Death of New York Broker Linda Stein
|url=https://nymag.com/news/features/41007/ |access-date=April 9, 2022 |website=New York Magazine |date=November 16, 2007 |language=en-us}}
According to her friend, author Steven Gaines, Stein reportedly 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/news/ny-nyreal015440932nov01,0,3942340.story|title=Broker to the stars killed in Manhattan apartment |publisher=Newsday.com|date=November 4, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104220617/http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/news/ny-nyreal015440932nov01,0,3942340.story|access-date=September 5, 2020|archive-date=November 4, 2007}}
Death
On October 30, 2007, Stein was found dead in her apartment in Manhattan. The coroner ruled Stein's death a homicide and attributed the cause to "blunt impact trauma to the head and neck."{{cite web|url=http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26875_0_2_0_C |title=Former 'Ramones' manager Linda Stein murdered |publisher=Side-line.com |date=November 2, 2007 |access-date=October 2, 2010}} At the time of her death, Stein had been battling a brain tumor.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}
= Conviction of assailant =
On November 9, 2007, Stein's former personal assistant Natavia Lowery was arrested. According to reports, the assistant killed her boss because Stein "just kept yelling at her."{{cite web|last=Orzeck |first=Kurt |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1573938/20071109/ramones.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111052422/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1573938/20071109/ramones.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 11, 2007 |title=Assistant Arrested In Murder Of Linda Stein, Ex-Ramones Manager |publisher=Mtv.com |date=November 10, 2007 |access-date=October 2, 2010}} She also claimed that Stein had blown marijuana smoke into her face and made a racial slur, but an autopsy determined that there was no marijuana in Stein's system.{{Cite news |last=Eligon |first=John |date=January 25, 2010 |title=Trial in Real Estate Broker's Killing May Turn on Aide's Recanted Confession |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/nyregion/25stein.html |access-date=April 9, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} 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; afterward, Lowery's mother approached Mandy Stein, saying, "You know you did it."{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3995325&page=1|title=Tension, Accusations at Linda Stein Bail Hearing|date=December 13, 2007|publisher=ABC News
|access-date=December 13, 2007}} On May 3, 2010, Lowery was sentenced to the maximum 25 years to life for murdering Stein, including three years for the theft of $30,000 from her.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8658574.stm|title=Ramones manager Linda Stein's PA jailed for murder|access-date=May 4, 2010|work=BBC News | date=May 3, 2010}}
=Estate=
The New York County Surrogate's Court determined that Stein died intestate. Accordingly, under New York State law her next of kin, her two daughters, inherited her estate. On December 18, 2007, they filed a petition with the court asking for control of Stein's estate. It was accepted the same day.{{cn|date=August 2023}}
Legacy
Singer Elton John said that he would perform in a cancer research fundraiser in Stein's honor.{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/11/10/2007-11-10_aide_confesses_she_beat_linda_stein_to_d.html |title=New York Daily News report on Linda Stein |work=New York Daily News |date=November 10, 2007 |access-date=October 2, 2010}}
On April 24, 2009, which would have been Linda Stein's 64th birthday, Mandy Stein's film Burning Down the House: The Rise and Fall of CBGB – dedicated to her mother – premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.{{Cite news |last=Walters |first=Ben |date=2009-05-07 |title=Tribeca film fest spotlights New York stories |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2009/may/07/tribeca-film-festival |access-date=2023-08-21}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071103062331/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 Lowery's confession]
- [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://nymag.com/daily/intel/2007/11/remembering_linda_stein.html Remembering Linda Stein]
{{Ramones}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stein, Linda S.}}
Category:American music managers
Category:American talent agents
Category:American murder victims
Category:People from Manhattan
Category:American real estate brokers
Category:Deaths by beating in the United States
Category:People murdered in New York City