The Bert Padell Collection
Our bidders will be delighted to discover that this catalog contains a number of items hailing from the mystique-filled collection of Bert Padell.

Bert Padell - “Financial Adviser to the Stars” - is an immensely colorful and accomplished individual who provided accounting services and legal counsel to a dazzling array of entertainment figures over the course of a lengthy and successful career. Along the way, he amassed a treasure trove of mementos and gifts from well-known people, and in many respects became nearly as famous as his celebrity clients.

Although a large proportion of Padell’s unique possessions originate from Hollywood and the recording industry, his first passion as a young man was in the realm of baseball. During the 1940s, he wrote letters to numerous star ballplayers, and received many memorable responses. And, in 1949-50, a dream was realized when Bert became a batboy for Casey Stengel’s World Champion New York Yankees teams. (Later, he attempted a baseball career of his own, before being permanently sidelined by injury.)

After college, Padell, while maintaining the close friendships he forged in the sports world, began his life’s work to the benefit of those in the entertainment industry. He became a founder of Padell, Nadell, Fine and Weinberger - a business management and accounting firm - and established solid relationships with many “A”-list clients, with such names as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alice Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Faye Dunaway, Whitey Ford, Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Peter Max, Earl Monroe, Pink Floyd and Ben Vereen constituting just a small portion of what would be a very extensive list. Additionally, he acted as Joe DiMaggio’s business manager for more than ten years. Padell’s lifelong interaction with famous figures inspired their gratitude, and yielded a personal collection of awards, keepsakes and unique objects that is simply incredible. A gallery of fantastic material - revealing a sample of the phenomenal holdings and echoing the remarkable experiences of Bert Padell - is presented in this auction.