She was dubbed “The Queen of Mean” and went to prison for tax evasion and fraud – real estate magnate Leona Helmsley passed away Monday from heart failure.

Leona Helmsley died Monday at her summer home in Greenwich, Connecticut, from heart failure, spokesperson Howard Rubenstein said. She was 87.

Leona Helmsley was born Leona Mindy Rosenthal on July 4, 1920. She left college to become a model and, within two decades, married a lawyer, Leo Panzirer, divorced him, then married a garment industry executive, Joe Lubin, and divorced him.

She was successful in selling residential real estate when she met flourishing New York estate investor and broker, Harry Helmsley. Harry Helmsley’s fortune amounted to some $5 billion, as owner of the Empire State Building, The Helmsley Building in New York City and the Harley Hotel chain.

She was 51 when she married Harry in 1972. He was 63 and had divorced his wife of 33 years to be with Leona.

In 1980, Harry appointed Leona president of the Helmsley hotels, a chain that included, among others, the Park Lane and St. Moritz in New York and the Helmsley Palace. She helped develop her husband’s business and became a household name in her own right.

Life was good to the Helmsleys. By the late 1980s though, those apparently perfect waters they were swimming in started to muddy.

Harry and Leona Helmsley were indicted by federal and state authorities on charges of tax evasion worth $4 million. The 80-year-old Harry was spared the trial because of his failing health.

Leona however was not and in 1989, she was convicted of $1.2 million income tax fraud. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $7.1 million for tax fraud. She began her sentence in 1992 and was once again a free woman in 1994.

She became famous during the trial, as various employees testified that they were terrified of her temper and her fierceness. One employee said she once heard Leona Helmsley say, “Only the little people pay taxes,” although the businesswoman herself denied having made such a remark.

Harry Helmsley died in 1997, aged 88.

His wife is survived by her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, and his wife, 4 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

In the statement announcing Leona Helmsley’s death, her publicist said: “Leona was a great businesswoman in her own right who created a tremendous brand and success with Helmsley Hotels and was a wonderful partner and wife to Harry Helmsley.”

“She was extremely generous as a philanthropist and she gave tens of millions of dollars to charity right up until the last months of her life,” Rubenstein added. “I was very proud to represent her for so many years.”

In her later years, Leona shared her wealth with many who needed help. She donated $25 million to the New York Presbyterian Hospital, $5 million to Hurricane Katrina victims and another $5million for the families of firefighters who heroically risked their lives during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.