The Robert Ellsworth estate left $50,000 each to two waitresses at Donohue’s Steak House in Manhattan, where the art dealer had been a regular for about 50 years. The women learned of the bequests in 2015, after Ellsworth died in 2014 at age 85.
Key Takeaways
- Maureen Donohue-Peters and her niece, Maureen Barrie, were each left $50,000.
- Ellsworth was an art dealer known for Asian antiques and Ming dynasty furniture.
Why the Robert Ellsworth estate named the waitresses
Ellsworth had been a loyal customer at Donohue’s Steak House for five decades. Donohue-Peters described him as down-to-earth and helpful, and said he knew the employees by name.
He regularly ordered an open-faced bacon and cheese sandwich priced at $8.95 and was known to tip 20% without looking at the bill. The source does not specify why he chose to include the two women in his will.
A career in Asian art
Known as the “King of Ming,” Ellsworth collected Asian antiques and dealt in Ming dynasty furniture and modern Chinese artworks. He began trading in antiques at 19 and opened his own shop in 1959.
His partner, restaurateur Masahiro Hashiguchi, later disputed the estate arrangements and filed a rival will. The available account does not establish the outcome of that dispute.
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