Oleg Cassini’s former townhouse in Gramercy Park has been sold for $7.4 million, according to public records. The property at 135 East 19th Street was previously sold at auction in 2022 for $5 million.
The home had once been valued near $15 million, which was also the price the seller initially attempted to achieve after acquiring it. After several price reductions, Douglas Elliman’s Eleonora Srugo listed the property for $8 million in July. Four months later, the house went into contract, with Ryan Serhant of Serhant representing the buyer, as reported by StreetEasy.
This recent sale occurred with less difficulty than the previous transaction, which followed a lawsuit by Cassini’s grandson aimed at forcing a sale of the home as part of ongoing disputes over Cassini’s estimated $55 million estate.
In addition to this sale, another former Cassini family property found a buyer this month amid legal complications. The 18,000-square-foot residence at 15 East 63rd Street—owned by Nestor Cassini’s sister Peggy Nestor—has been entangled in bankruptcy proceedings for years. Court filings indicate that efforts to sell were delayed by disputes among family members. However, a trustee overseeing the bankruptcy has reported securing a buyer willing to pay $34.5 million and is seeking court approval to proceed using that offer as a stalking horse bid.
Cassini gained fame as a fashion designer and stylist for celebrities such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. He secretly married Marianne Nestor Cassini, who many believed was only his business partner until after his death in 2006. In 2018, Marianne Nestor Cassini served six months in jail for failing to comply with court orders regarding distribution of her late husband’s estate—a matter contested by Cassini’s four grandchildren.
The identity of the most recent buyer is shielded through a limited liability company. The townhouse requires significant renovation work, which may account for its selling price being well below earlier valuations.
Originally constructed in Amsterdam during the 17th century, the building was relocated twice: first from Europe to Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1845 and then again in 1910 to its current location on East 19th Street. There it was redesigned into its current Gothic Revival style for sugar magnate Joseph B. Thomas.
According to Srugo’s comments published by the New York Post: “Someone should restore it to its glory.”
The nearly 7,000-square-foot residence spans four stories and features six bedrooms and five full bathrooms. Notable elements include Flemish stone flooring at the entrance on the first floor; a large living room with barrel-vaulted ceiling; paneled walls; stone fireplace; adjacent glass solarium with an indoor fountain; and stained-glass windows on every floor.
