The New York herald., 1921-03-09
GALLO SEEKS TO BUY
MANHATTAN OPERA
Mrs. Hammerstein Values BIG
Building in West 34th st.
at S1,O0O,OO0.
REFUSED 100000 OFFER
Definite Figure Not Set in
Negotiations, Which Will
Continue Tomorrow.

Fortune Gallo. managing director OF
the Gallo Grand Opera Company, opened
negotiations yesterday with Mrs. Oscar
Hammersteln for the purchase of the
Manhattan Opera House. The confer
cnce. held in the offices of Lewis g.
Kelsey, attorneys for Mr.. Gallo, was not
productive OF a definite understanding.
Ii was attended by Mrs. Hammerstein,
George Blumenthal. her business man
ager. and Mr.. Gallo. with Frederick T.
Kelsey of the law firm as legal adviser.
Another conference will be held to-mor-
row
After yesterdays meeting Mr.. Gallo
said: Il am trying to help Mrs. Ham
merstein out Of her present financial
difficulties and while we have come to
no definite understanding the prospects
of a favorable outcome look good. There
will be something definite to say in a
couple Of days.
Neither Mrs. Hammerstein nor Mr.
Gallo would make known the basis upon
which the former would turn over the
opera house property in West Thirty
fourth street. Mrs. Hammerstein, who
holds title TO the property which she
values at S1.000000. has had several
offers for the property varying from
S700. 900 TO $500. 900 from the Wooworth
the Post Office Department. These she
declined to consider because of her de-
sire to have the property maintained
for grand opera purposes as a sort of
memorial to her late husband.
Mr. Gallo. when asked what purchase
proposition he had made to Mrs Ham
merstein. replied:
Il cannot answer that question def
ntely You must understand that the
property is burdened with encumbrances
amounting TO fully S600,0 There are
mortgages amounting to S450.000 and
judgment entered last week in a suit
brought against Mrs. Hammerstein for
S124000 which, with interest. ap-
proaches s150000. but l am as anxious
as Mrs. Hammerstein to have the Man
haitian Opera House maintained for
grand opera purposes"
Mr.. Blumenthal said: NO definite
figure at which Mr.. Gallo would take 1t
over was mentioned. You must under
stand that Mrs Hammerstein may not
be obliged to give up the opera house
property That judgment entered in
behalf OF Mrs. Charles Fyles Pope and
Mrs. Rose Hammerstein Tostevin her
stepdaughters, Is not worrying her in the
least. If they pressed that claim. as
they may at any moment, we could
carry lllt case TO LHt isDuTL Ol Appears
and keep II in the courts six or nine
months more We hope to weather her
immediate pressing needs.
"The Manhattan is booked up almost
completely until March. 1922, which will
mark the close Of the next Chicago
opera season there. Mr.. Gallo's lease
runs from September to November IA
of this year. The Southern Light Opera
Company will come to the opera house
ON May and remain sixteen weeks
Thus we are almost completely booked
up"
A mortgage for $4,000 was lifted last
autumn by advances OF $4,000 each
made by the Chicago Opera Company
and Fortune Gallo. but toward the end
of the Chicago opera season, which end
ed last Saturday night. Mrs. Hammer
stein found herself in financial difficult
ties as the result of an accumulation Of
fixed and overhead charges. which led
to the original report that she might be
obliged to sacrifice the property.