"Trouble", Leona Helmsley's millionaire heir dog, dies

Leona Helmsley's millionaire Maltese has died.

The Helmsley family trust said Thursday that 12-year-old Trouble died Dec. 13 and was cremated.

Trouble became famous when Helmsley, who died in 2007 at 87, left the dog $12 million. A judge trimmed Trouble's bequest to $2 million.

Helmsley was the widow of Harry Helmsley and helped run their hotel and real estate empire. She served 21 months in prison for evading federal taxes by billing her businesses for mansion renovations.

Trust spokeswoman Eileen Sullivan would not say how much was left of Trouble's money but what remained went into the trust.

Sullivan would not say where the dog died. The Daily News reports Trouble had been cared for by the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle hotel in Sarasota, Florida.