MILWAUKEEAN SUED BY N.Y. "SOCIALITE" SIS IN AUTHORSHIP DISPUTE

DISSENSION RACKS THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BONCOMPAGNI
(5253 N. Lovers Lane)
Daughter of Princely Family, Based Here,
Accused of Copyright Violations by Sister

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld

By Michael Horne

And the Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

It is not often that the buzz encircling the New York literary-socialite-nobility set descends to sting a Milwaukeean, but a local woman is being sued by her sister for claiming co-authorship of an upcoming book, "Hedge Fund Wives," scheduled to be published in May 2009.
According to the complaint, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, [pdf] Tatiana Boncompagni Hoover, author of "Gilding Lily," complains her older sister Natasha Boncompagni, 33, of Milwaukee, falsely claims to have shared the chore of writing the upcoming book.
Today, Wednesday, October 29th, 2008, a judge granted a restraining order prohibiting Natasha from claiming authorship of the new oeuvre.
Thomas Zambito of the New York Daily News wrote that Tatiana, 31, is an "East Side socialite" and that "the sisters' mother is reportedly a descendant of Italian nobility," although in an e-mail to milwaukeeworld he says "Natasha is now saying Tatiana's claims to nobility was an attempt to generate buzz for her first book so I suspect there's not much there."
You wouldn't think so, would you?
Milwaukeeworld unleashed the Hound Dog Team to check up on the nobles who walk among us with a hope that we might be able to bathe in the reflected Ducal glow of the radiant Boncompagni family. It matters not that we had never heard of them -- descendants of the Blood Royal from time-to-time live discreet lives of quiet, well-buffed splendor, perhaps even in our midst.

We located Villa Boncompagni at 5253 N. Lovers Lane Rd, where Mom, Dad, Natasha and what could be the Dowager Countess Boncompagni reside in the Newport West Condominiums.(According to the complaint, Natasha, unemployed, resides with her parents and grandmother.) It has been the seat of the House of Boncompagni since May 7th, 1999. The family occupies a 990 square foot apartment -- all crammed onto a single floor of the building . The Royal apartments are to be found in Suite 313 on the third -- the very top floor -- the Penthouse!
The ducal domicile, valued at $69,900, has a cozy two-bedroom layout to accommodate the four residents who represent three generations of descendants of Pope Gregory XIII, if Tatiana is to be believed. It is here, in August, Tatiana alleges, that Natasha took advantage of her sister's unsecured, non password-protected computer to download the novel-in-progress.
According to real estate records, the residence is owned by Dorene Paley, who appears to be the Community Services Director of the Jewish Community Pantry here, which sounds like much more useful work than that in which the feuding sisters are engaged. Also on the deed: Lawrence Schneiderman, the father of Tatiana and Natasha, and brother of Dorene. Grandma -- Eva Schneiderman -- alas is from the paternal line.
According to Tatiana, her mother is Maria Elena Boncompagni Ludovisi, a member of a noble -- if not downright royal -- family. "Nonsense," says Nicolo Boncompagni Ludovisi, head of the Princely house of Boncompagni. "Tatiana is a fraud," he writes.

An obituary in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 1999 helps clear up the royal lineage:

Schneiderman, Joseph

Age 85 years. Born July 25, 1914. Of Milwaukee. Died Oct. 9, 1999. Adored husband of Eva Scheiderman (nee Malkin). Beloved father of Dorene (Phil) Paley and Lary (Milena) Schneiderman. Cherished grandfather of Jim, Bob (Sharyl), and Andy Paley; Natasha and Tatiani Schneiderman. Special great-grandfather of Hannah Leah and Avi Lewis Paley. ...

So, in closing, who are these people and to what extent have they tainted Milwaukee's cultural hegemony? If you have any clue, do call so they may be accorded their proper place in Milwaukee's social hierarchy.
And for goodness sake, don't buy the book. To do so only encourages their type.

Michael Horne
Editor / Imprimatur
Almanach de Gotha
Milwaukee North Shore Edition.


THE AGONY AND THE ARGOSY : FOUNDATION VALUE DROPS $32 MILLION
The Milwaukee Shakespeare Theater announced that it was suspending operations due to the inability of major funder The Argosy Foundation, to continue its support. Chris Abele, whose family established the foundation, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he had to cut back on charitable giving to maintain the long term integrity of the foundation.
According to Wall Street observers, there have been reports of some sort of disruption in financial markets recently, and this has found its way to Milwaukee.
Abele's predicament shows a couple of problems faced by charitable donors -- and those they support. Abele made quite a splash with his benefactions. This may have been good for folks like the Shakespeare troupe, since it helped get them started.
However, Abele's support may have proved a disincentive for others to donate. "Why bother giving anything if he gets all the credit?" you could imagine people saying. Or, "He's got so much money, why does he need any of mine?" Locally, we call this the Cudahy effect.
Another problem faced by Abele is the foundation is funded from essentially one source -- highly appreciated stock in Boston Scientific [BSX], co-founded by John Abele, the father of Christopher. For the year 2006 (the last year for which data is available) the Argosy Foundation's 3,540,000 shares of Boston Scientific stock were worth $60,825,000 -- plenty of money to play around with. However, lack of diversification hurt the foundation's holdings, so that the same shares today are worth only $28,426,200.
That's a $32 million-plus drop, which is a lot for a foundation with an annual $1.3 million overhead budget -- exclusive of gifts.
--Michael Horne