Longtime Palm Beach property owner Burt Handelsman dies

Longtime prolific Worth Avenue property owner and landlord Burt Handelsman, whose contentious divorce from his wife of nearly 70 years generated international headlines, died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. He was 95 years old.

Mr. Handelsman, a former Palm Beach resident who lived in Lantana, and Lucille "Lovey'' Handelsman were for years among the Avenue's most extensive property owners. Their $550 million real estate empire, which also included properties from upstate New York to Key West, was split up in April 2019 when a Palm Beach County judge finalized their divorce, with a number of Avenue assets awarded to Mrs. Handelsman. They had been married since 1948.

Their real estate empire began in the 1950s at their kitchen table in New York's Brooklyn borough. Using carbon paper, she would type up a description of land or buildings they tagged as investment opportunities. He would use his Brownie camera to take pictures of the property, paste the photos on her typewritten papers and use them as ads to attract prospective investors.

Lovey Handelsman vetted those interested in joining their fledgling business, her attorney Joel Weissman said in 2019. Further, once buildings were purchased, she mimeographed notices that rental units were available and posted them on telephone poles throughout Brooklyn, he said.

"He was very smart. I loved working with him," said Avenue landlord Jane Holzer. "I will miss him."

More:Handelsman break-up: Lucille gets Key West saloon, Burt gets lucrative parking lot

Mr. Handelsman was born in Brooklyn and served in the U.S. Navy in World War II as a seaman second class. After attending New York University, he worked as an accountant in his father's office before starting his real estate business.

Among the Handelsmans' properties on Worth Avenue was the Via Amore, a shop-filled Mediterranean-style courtyard on the south side of the street. For 30 years, the space at 256 Worth Ave. had been known as the Via Gucci, named for the retailer that anchored the space. In 2012, a couple of years after Gucci moved down the street, Mr. Handelsman hosted a renaming party for the via and courtyard with champagne and roses.

More:Burt Handelsman seeks to change Gucci courtyard name

At the time, Mr. Handelsman explained why he chose the word "amore," which means "love" in Italian, for the via's new name. "My wife's name is Lovey and my company is called Love Realty," Handelsman said. "Love has a lot of meaning to me."

Many of the real estate ownership companies he owned had the word "love" in their names. For many years, the Handlesmans enjoyed a view of the Via Amore courtyard from their apartment.

Though he lost much of his property on Worth Avenue in the divorce settlement, it allowed him to retain ownership of the lucrative Apollo parking lot and several storefronts. He also was awarded the family home in White Plains, New York; commercial property in North Carolina, Tennessee and elsewhere; and the couple’s shaving mug collection, valued at about $1 million. He also owned property on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.

Mr. Handelsman, who gave himself the unofficial title as the "Mayor of Worth Avenue," became estranged from his three adult children, who managed much of the family's real estate empire, during the divorce proceedings.

Mr. Handelsman in April 2021 sold a trio of commercial building in Palm Beach, two on Worth Avenue and one on South County Road, in deals totaling $58 million.

"For longer than I can remember, Burt Handelsman had been a major force in Palm Beach real estate," said Realtor Jeff Cloninger. "He was an icon."

More:Former Handelsman properties, including post office building, bring $21M in bankruptcy sale

Lovey Handelsman, 93, died in November 2019 in her Worth Avenue apartment, a month after her divorce was finalized. She filed for divorce in 2016 after she said she overheard her husband profess his love for a real estate attorney, according to court documents.

Mr. Handelsman is survived by a son, Steven (Debbie) Handelsman; two daughters, Sandy (Thomas) Heaslip and Marsha (James) Stocker; six grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

A graveside service was held Sunday at Wellwood Cemetery, West Babylon, New York. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to Birthright Israel at birthrightisrael.foundation/donate. Funeral arrangements were handled by Beth Israel Memorial Chapel of Boynton Beach.

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Staff writer Darrell Hofheinz contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Mr. Handelsman owned property from upstate New York to Key West