Jackie Gleason's Hialeah Home Up For Auction
HIALEAH (CBSMiami) - How sweet it is! Fans of Jackie Gleason -- comedian, star of The Honeymooners, and the man who moved his entire variety show from New York to Miami Beach in the 60's -- have a chance to own a piece of the star's life from artwork to his former Hialeah home during an auction at the home Saturday and Sunday.
The house is a 9 thousand square foot, five-bedroom ranch on three golf course lots at the Country Club of Miami, including a guest house. Gleason retired in South Florida after his show ended, doing occasional films, until he died here in 1987.
He lived in the house until he died. when it was sold to a couple who put it in trust. Despite the celebrity pedigree, Miami-Dade records value the home at considerably less than $1 million.
Miami-based Auction Company of America said the house will go to the highest bidder, whatever the price.
If you don't have the scratch to handle buying Gleason's home, which is set up for entertaining, there are plenty of other Gleason goodies. How about the bus driver uniforms he wore as Ralph Kramden? Auctioneers will have a lot of other memorabilia from the show and from Gleason's life, as well as a host of mundane things, like Gleason's exercise equipment.
Anyone who watched his show knows that didn't get much use.
Cars, a golf cart, and even a motorcycle are up for bid.
All you need to take part in the personal items bidding is a photo ID. Auctions for those items are Saturday at 11 am and Sunday at 1. To bid on the home, you need to meet stiffer requirements, which are among the details here. The auction for the home will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Gleason loved South Florida, enough to stay until he died and beyond. His final resting place is in Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery near Florida's Turnpike in Doral.
On the tomb, his last words for his fans; "and away we go!"
