"When the Astors Owned New York"

WNYC News | Jul 12, 2010

Today, four news organizations will ask a judge to unseal Brooke Astor's court records. The 104-year old society icon is at the center of a family squabble over her care.

Astor's grandson is in court trying to remove his father as Astor's legal guardian, claiming neglect and that he's using the role to take millions of her dollars.

The Astor family has a long and storied relationship with the City of New York. Joining us now to talk about it is historian Justin Kaplan. He's author of "When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age."

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