Tsk, tsk, tsk. The New York Post reported this weekend that Ballyshear, the Southampton estate of former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg, is a hotbed of licentiousness among the staff. At least according to one former housekeeper. Nelly Amaya says that Ballyshear managers Marika Sygman and Steve Kaczynski were often to be found getting jiggy in various rooms of the mansion. (And with eleven bedrooms and 22,000 square feet of space, there’s plenty of room to stretch out, as it were.)
Amaya has filed a lawsuit; papers filed in Brooklyn federal court state that other coworkers told her “to be cautious when entering rooms in the mansion because she could easily witness Sygman and Kaczynski engaging in sexual behavior.”
When Amaya complained about her work environment, Sygman allegedly told the staff, “If anyone goes to HR, see how far you fly when Mr. B kicks your ass out the door.” (The Post, not to mention Amaya, hastened to point out that Bloomberg knew nothing about any of this.)
Amaya claims that she blacked out because of the racy talk, then fell down the stairs, causing injuries. She stopped working because of the injuries and was eventually fired, according to the suit. Now she’s suing.
Ballyshear, of course, is a 1910 ivy-clad brick manor with black-and-white marble floors and paneled libraries, and lavish gardens. Bloomberg spent $20 million on the property back in 2011. There’s a pool and tennis court along with equestrian facilities on 35 acres, as well as a few golf holes. And the house is close to a number of golf courses; fittingly, the mansion’s first owner was Charles Blair Macdonald, who built the first 18-hole course in the nation.
Here’s an image of part of the estate via Google Earth. Lovely.
