The New York herald., 1921-12-22
CARUSO'S PROPERTY
RATED AT S9O4,OOO
Miss Gloria Sure to Get Half,
Mother Shows in Asking
for Administration.
FOUR TO GET ONE-EIGHTH
Art and Collections Released
by Rudolfo, EnricO and
Giovanni.
FOUR TO GET ONE-EIGHTH

The value of Enrico Caruso's estate
and the manner in which it is to be
divided became known yesterday when
his widow, Mrs. Dorothy Benjamin
Caruso. applied to the Surrogates' Court
for letters ancillary permitting her to
administer assets in this State. She
filed copy of an agreement between
herself and Carusos heirs other than
his daughter, who are his sons. Rudolfo
and Enrico. and his brother, Giovanni
The estate is declared to be worth
2OOO0.0O0 lire. which at yesterdays rate
OF exchange is about 1904. 900. and is
divided into two equal shares. Gloria Is
TO get one outright. along with a trust
fund of 100000 lire. The other share is
to be subdivided into four equal parts
Tor Mrs. Caruso. Rudolfo, Enrco and
Giovanni.
The agreement does not consider the
tenors contract with the Victor Talking
Machine Company by which an income
OF s25o.oOo. royalty on song records. will
go to his heirs for twenty years. but it
arranges for the support of his step
mother, for gifts to old servants and
employees and for the erection of a
Miss Glorias share also is to include
his more important and valuable works
Iof art, particularly his collection of
gold boxes and watches and the gold
disk. or master, records which are now
In the possession of the phonograph COM
pany. The 100000 lire which she re-
ce1ves specially is to be placed in a
Florence bank at interest for her until
she is of age. The amount Of the es-
tate in this country Is between s175, 900
and 100000.
The agreement was executed on Oc-
tober II in order to obviate multi
plicity of lawsuits, which otherwise
would have been necessary, because
Carusos daughter was born after his
will was made and it was imperative
as to her under italian law.
Under Italian law executors do not
handle the property OF deceased persons.
but the heirs take over estates directly
and divide them according to will or
law with the assistance of their lawyers
and make due report to the probate
courts. The Caruso agreement has been
submitted to the probate court at Naples
and approved.
Alfred Z. Selissberg Of Wise & Seligs-
berg. who is representing Mrs. Caruso,
said yesterday:
iit PiO'NttllSS mere are iHstlIulttl
to have Mrs. Caruso appointed to ad-
minister and collect the assets within
the State. pay New York creditors and
turn over the surplus to the italian es-
tate to be divided according to the agree
ment"
Although Gloria Caruso was born
after her fathers will was made and
was not mentioned in 1t. she would have
taken half OF his estate under Italian
law had his will gone to probate, so that
the agreement makes the same provision
for her as the law.
The value of Caruso's Italian estate
was estimated yesterday by friend OF
the family at $4,000 900 lire rather than
&c. .oo0, 900, which at the days rate of ex-
change would place the value in dollars
at about s1.130.o00. The value of the
American estate would, II was said, be
found to be nearer 100000 than $780,
600. but against the American property
there must be charged inheritance taxes
and the personal debts of the tenor,
amounting to s71.955