When She Was Bad: The Story of Bess, Hortense, Sukhreet & Nancy

by Shana Alexander

Book Overview

From Publishers Weekly The compassionate, well-reasoned analysis Alexander applied to convicted murderer Jean Harris in Very Much a Lady is missing in this facile, unbalanced account of events leading... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394576063
• ISBN13: 9780394576060
• Release Date: March 1990
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 305 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Bess Mess Revisited!

I like Shana Alexander as an author. This book is quite interesting and detailed about Bess Myerson, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Jews and her life. Alexander details Bess' childhood and poor upbringing in the Bronx with a nasty mother and a loving father. She became the First Jewish Miss America in 1945. From then on, she became a public figure in both media and New York City politics. Bess herself was a mess from the beginning. She was not a very good mother to her only daughter Barra nor a very good wife to her husbands. I remember Bess more for the scandal that involved a highly respected judge Hortense Gabel, her bizarre daughter Sukhreet (born Julie Bess) Gabel, and TOny Capasso. At that time, Bess was having an affair with married father Tony Capasso. Judge Gabel was trying her best to be a good mother to the outrageous daughter Sukhreet by helping her get a job. It was the job of being Bess' assistant that helped get Bess into her mess. Ironically, the Gabels are painted much better here than anywhere else. Sukhreet is probably still outrageous as ever but she told the truth. She was a smart woman with psychological problems from the beginning. She wasn't crazy but she was brilliant and capable of so much more. Surprisingly, it is Judge Hortense Wittstein Gabel that I feel the most sympathy for of all. Judge Gabel was in fact one of the most respected judges on the bench in New York City. She was also very dedicated to her profession and she was honorable, respectable, and dedicated to her profession. She would have made an excellent supreme court justice. The Gabels lived quite modestly in a rent-controlled apartment. Her husband and dentist, Milton Gabel, was retired but not Hortense. She was determined to do what she loved. She helped in affordable housing and she was the kind of person to make the city a better place. Sadly, this scandal affected an otherwise wonderful perfect career. While some lawyers would seek fame and fortune, Hortense was satisfied in her life and position. One can only imagine what might have been. She was probably on the shortlist for the supreme court that I could imagine. This book could use pictures that is why I am giving it 4 stars. I have the hardcover edition and there are no pictures. I feel sorry for Nancy Capasso who was the woman left behind in the Bess Mess. Her husband's infidelity with Bess was a cruel affair without any indiscretion. I can imagine that Sukhreet is still alive and living her life. She was never capable of being your average daughter. Even her parents forgave her for acting like a spoiled child but she did tell the truth but she got laughed out of court and she got attention that she may have wanted all along. I don't think she was much to blame. I think Hortense was just trying to be a good mother and Sukhreet was offended by the notion that she couldn't get a job on her own.

Still more scandal from the author of "Anyone's Daughter"

Ms. Alexander,(the Kitty Kelly of New York political scandal)writes an entertaining yet frenetic tale of the fall of Bess Meyerson, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs of the city of New York, and former Miss America. Much attention is paid to Judge Hortense Gable's emotionally unstable daughter, Sukhreet, the catalyst of the scandal involving her having obtained a city job in exchange for leniency in the divorce case of Ms. Meyerson's lover (Andy Capasso, the most famous sewer man since Ed Norton.)For those who have put down Nancy Drew, but are not yet ready for Jackie Susann novels.