Queen of New York Art Scene Reports to Prison Next Month

Manhattan art dealer Mary Boone was sentenced to 30 months in prison on two counts of tax fraud in February. She recently learned that she must begin her sentence in May. She pleaded guilty to falsely claiming more than $1.5 million in personal expenses in 2011. Boone’s many detractors view her punishment as rough justice for her gauche and sharp-elbowed approach to client representation, which they view as social crimes, but some observers, wonder if the thin line between life style and business strategy was too sharply drawn when prosecutors drew up their charges. Boone relished being the subject of gossip. She wore Chanel suits and cobra skin high-heels, and always made sure her arrival at an artist’s loft in a stretch limo was well-covered by the paparazzi. Some of the artists she promoted made real money but she had a reputation for being hard to work with. A whistleblower’s tip brought her down. The judge cited the “long and studied nature” of Boone’s crimes in his decision to make her serve substantial time. She must surrender herself on or before 15 May.