Leona Helmsley's Former Housekeeper Gripes About the Rich Bitch

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The Romanian housekeeper, Sfara, worked in Helmsley's apartment in her Helmsley Park Lane Hotel for several months. She spoke with the Daily News yesterday about her experiences dealing with that dog of Helmsley's.

Sfara claims that she was bitten dozens of times by Trouble, which led to her lawsuit against Helmsley in 2005 for bites that caused permanent nerve damage to her right hand. She now has to wear a brace on that hand, thanks to vicious Trouble. Helmsley fought that lawsuit up until her death last week. The suit is on appeal.

Sfara said Trouble would bite anyone including bodyguards, head of security and even the hotel customers.

"You'd never know when she would bite you," she said. "One time when she bit me, she was chewing on my fingers, and Leona said, 'Good for you, Trouble, she deserved it.' "

Helmsley thought her late husband, Harry, used the dog as a means to communicate to her. The dog went everywhere with Helmsley and was greatly spoiled and loved by her, sharing her bed and her kisses.

Sfara said,

"She would lick the dog tongue to tongue. It was unnatural. It was unhealthy."

While Helmsley was alive she dressed Trouble in expensive clothes and the dog was adorned with a beautiful diamond collar. Trouble's meals were prepared by the hotel's chef and carried to her in porcelain bowls on a silver tray. The hotel customers always came second to the preparing of the dog's meals first.

The dishes of steamed veggies and grilled or steamed fish and chicken for Trouble had to be handfed by the housekeeper with her two fingers, on her knees.

Sfara thought it no big surprise that the dog inherited $12 million while Helmsley disowned the two grandchildren she'd been feuding with for a long time.

"Leona wanted everybody to love her, but she knew nobody loved her," Sfara said. "This dog replaced that love."

Helmsley never went to the 1994 wedding of her only son, now deceased, Craig Panzirer. After she got in a nasty fight with her daughter-in-law, Mimi, she had her evicted from a Florida Helmsley property.

No one, including the disinherited grandchildren, will comment on the will Helmsley left or why these family members were left out.

"It's nobody's business," growled Susan Rosenthal, whose husband, Alvin, inherits Trouble in the will. He also was appointed a trustee of the Helmsley estate.

Alvin is Leona's brother.

There is one person who is openly expressing his gratitude to Helmsley for the money she left him. Her chauffer received $100,000.

"I can tell you that I really appreciated her," said chauffeur Nicholas Celea outside his Queens home.

Leona also provided billions of dollars to charities in her will, which was a very generous act on her part.

Sfara said the bitch, Trouble, is in poor health and will join Leona in the family crypt upon her death.