Heir to Barneys luxury empire served with explosive tax-fraud lawsuit at NYC book event: ‘Gene went crazy’

An heir to nan fallen Barneys luxury empire sewage served pinch an explosive tax-fraud suit from his estranged relative — while he was successful nan mediate of promoting his gossipy caller memoir past week astatine a New York City bookstore, The Post has learned.

Gene Pressman, 74, was signing copies of his caller book, “They All Came to Barneys: A Personal History of nan World’s Greatest Store,” astatine Rizzoli Bookstore successful Manhattan past Tuesday erstwhile he sewage a nasty surprise, according to a root briefed connected nan encounter.

A alleged “process server” — a master hired to manus tribunal documents to defendants — had bought a transcript of nan fashion-infused tome and stood successful statement pinch different fashionistas to get it signed by Pressman, sources said.

But erstwhile it was his move to measurement up to nan table, alternatively of handing Pressman nan book to motion nan process server pulled retired a suit and handed it to Pressman, according to sources.

The ineligible salvo was from his 71-year-old relative Bob Pressman — who as exclusively reported by The Post past month, has accused his relative Gene, his 2 sisters and their precocious mother, Phyllis, of orchestrating an elaborate taxation fraud strategy that allegedly cheated New York authorities retired of $20 million.

“Gene went crazy — he was screaming and cursing him out,” according to 1 root briefed connected nan bookstore incident. “He was really freaked retired by it.”

Randall Fox, a lawyer representing Bob Pressman, said he had heard that Gene Pressman was “not a happy camper” and that he “cursed” erstwhile he sewage nan suit, but nan lawyer said he wasn’t coming astatine nan incident.

“It makes nary quality for nan lawsuit whether [Gene] Pressman received nan work of process pinch grace aliases without,” Fox told The Post. “What matters is that he was served pinch process and now his 20 days clip to respond to nan lawsuit begins.”

Gene and Bob’s sisters – Elizabeth-Pressman Neubardt and Nancy-Pressman Dressler – unrecorded successful nan New York metro area and were already served, according to Fox.  

Gene — who lives successful West Palm Beach, Fla. and was visiting New York for his book circuit — did not respond to an email and telephone connection seeking comment. Bob Pressman declined to comment.

The bombshell civilian suit – which only came to ray aft a judge unsealed it successful June – claims that nan allegedly tax-cheating members of nan Pressman family could beryllium liable for upwards of $50 cardinal successful backmost taxes and penalties.

The amended complaint, revenge successful New York State Supreme Court, lists Bob Pressman arsenic a whistleblower nether nan New York False Claims Act, which could entitle him to up to 30% of immoderate recovery. He revenge his original title successful July 2024. 

The suit alleges that his family falsely claimed that their mother, Phyllis Pressman, resided successful West Palm Beach, Fla., to debar paying nan Empire State’s onerous property tax.

In fact, nan widow of unit fable Fred Pressman – who famously transformed his begetter Barney’s men’s suit business into a luxury empire successful nan 1960s – had been surviving year-round successful her oceanfront mansion successful Southampton, NY, for nan past six years of her life, nan suit claims.

Phyllis Pressman passed distant past twelvemonth astatine property 95 – and near her youngest son, Bob, thing from her estimated $100 cardinal estate, according to nan complaint.

Her assets included the 2.3-acre, oceanfront dispersed astatine 346 Meadow Ln. successful Southampton that’s presently connected nan artifact for $38.5 million. Her swanky Upper East Side apartment, listed for $3.95 million, is successful contract.

Bob Pressman and his siblings had worked together astatine Barneys, presiding complete an fierce description and bankruptcy filing successful 1996. Their narration deteriorated aft nan family sold their liking successful Barneys more than 25 years ago.

As exclusively reported by The Post, Bob Pressman had antecedently worked connected an as-yet-unpublished manuscript for an incendiary tell-all book that blamed his family for Barney’s demise. 

The manuscript was ne'er finished, sources told The Post.

In it, however, Bob accused his relative Gene of moving Barneys into nan crushed pinch lavish spending projects, moreover arsenic he allegedly spent his clip partying done nan 1980s astatine Studio 54.

At nan time, Gene fired back, accusing his relative of having “a casual narration pinch nan truth” and claiming, “Bob conveniently forgets he was successful truth nan co-CEO responsible for nan financial stableness of firm, a domiciled successful which by each measures he massively failed.”

Bob was trim retired of his mother’s will aft years of family squabbling, capped by his refusal to participate successful nan alleged taxation fraud, according to a root adjacent to nan case. A spot statement drawn up by Phyllis’s attorneys declared, “Bob doesn’t get thing for reasons he good knows,” a root adjacent to nan lawsuit told The Post. 

Bob’s sisters, Elizabeth and Nancy, who were buyers for Barneys, sued him respective years aft nan retailer’s 1996 bankruptcy, accusing him of cheating them retired of $30 cardinal from nan business. Bob, who was successful complaint of nan company’s finances astatine nan time, denied nan allegations.

A New York judge awarded nan sisters $11.3 cardinal successful 2002. Their relative appealed nan award.