Tony Bennett’s daughters sue brother over handling of late singer’s assets

NEW YORK — Tony Bennett’s two daughters are suing their brother, alleging that he mismanaged and failed to disclose some of their father’s assets in his role as administrator of the the late singer property.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York by Antonia and Johanna Bennett accuses D’Andrea “Danny” Bennett of failing to account for all proceeds from this year’s sale of Tony Bennett’s catalog and certain image rights to brand development company Iconoclast. .

The court filing states that “it remains unclear what musical assets (and other properties) were and were not sold as part of the deal” because the sisters “have not been provided with numerous details of the transaction despite repeated requests.”

Danny Bennett, who was the singer’s manager and manages the family trust, did not respond Thursday to an email and phone message seeking comment on the lawsuit. Another brother, Daegal “Dae” Bennett, and Tony’s widow, Susan Benedetto, were also named in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit further alleges that Danny Bennett “obtained personal benefits for himself and his company” in transactions, including the sale of memorabilia, made in the name of Tony Bennett, the family trust and Benedetto Arts LLC.

The sisters are seeking unspecified “equitable relief” as well as a full accounting and inventory of the trust. Requires Danny Bennett to deliver income, disbursements, expenses and tax returns.

“Although Danny and his attorney provided piecemeal information and produced some documents to petitioners’ attorneys, the information provided raises more questions than it answers and does not provide anything approaching an accounting of Tony’s assets and financial affairs,” the court filing said.

Tony Bennett, a legendary performer of classic American songs who created new standards such as “I left my heart in San Francisco” he died last July, aged 96. There was no specific cause, but Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

Bennett has released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys.