A grandiose, Gatsby-esque Long Island mansion — a mashup of Las Vegas kitsch and West Egg elegance — is for sale once again.
The stately home, on 8 waterfront acres, has been on and off the market for the past eight years, according to the Real Deal. The $100 million asking price dropped to $85 million — and then $55 million. It now asks $45 million.
The elaborate property, at 26 Pond Road in affluent Great Neck, is a maximalist’s dream. It includes three structures — the main house, the game house (which has a pizza oven) and the guest house.
Together, they cover a massive 60,000 square feet, with 18 bedrooms and 28 bathrooms.
“The guest house is on nearly an acre and has over 6,500 square feet that can be purchased separately,” said Ryan Serhant, the current broker.
Furniture can be included — or not. “The fixtures and finishes are unique to this house and can be negotiated with an offer,” Serhant said.
What else is there? Almost everything: a ballroom, a boat dock, a water park, a koi pond, a greenhouse, a wine cellar, a hair salon, a shooting range, a tennis court and an indoor racquetball court.
The grounds — which are dotted with ponds, fountains and statues — include “rare specimen trees and plants one may only find in international botanical gardens,” Serhant said.
But it’s inside that’s truly jaw-dropping.
The bowling alley has a mosaic ceiling of stained glass, as do many of the other rooms — such as an indoor pool (one of seven plunge pools or hot tubs) and, of particular note, a formal dining room whose ceiling pattern shows blue flowers. The kitchen, too, has a stained glass ceiling showing floral patterns — but listing images also show mighty marble accents, such as in the home gym that’s sheathed in it.
The garage includes a hydraulic lift. The driveway is heated. Property taxes are more than $600,000 a year.
A glass elevator goes to three of the five floors in the main house. Three floors are subterranean.
The waterfront parcel, in the Village of Kings Point, faces southwest, with New York City’s skyline — plus a few bridges — within squinting distance.
The home, built in 1928, started as a more humble dwelling. Some 20 years ago, around 1995, it was purchased and expanded by real-estate investor Tamir Sapir, a rags-to-riches immigrant from Tbilisi, Georgia.
Over the years, Sapir spent more than $100 million on improvements, with materials sourced from around the globe, said Rachel King of Serhant. The property is co-listed with Stefani Berkin and Robert Barr of We R New York.
Sapir started his American life as a cabbie, moved into the field of retail electronics and made his fortune in real estate. In 2009, he was fined for violating the Endangered Species Act, when rare-animal skins and elephant tusks were found on his yacht, Mystère, which he called his main residence.
Sapir died in 2014 at age 67, survived by five children and six grandchildren. But his overwrought taste — with a penchant for nautical themes and seashell seating, the latter of which is also seen in several rooms — carries on.
“Sapir envisioned this home as a multi-generational family compound,” King said, with amenities to delight all ages, from children (a dollhouse) to grandparents (a fur-storage room). Sapir’s designs were inspired by the Hôtel de Ville in Normandy and the Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg, she said.
Some of the listing photos were virtually staged to tone down the florid interiors, “so buyers can visualize what it would be like with a more neutral aesthetic,” King said.
Despite the many high-end and exotic materials, the property last sold in 2013 for just under $16 million, according to Nassau County records, which describe the property, with understatement, as a “luxurious residence and auxiliary buildings containing at least 5 acres of land.”
The current owner is Helene Abiri, who made “necessary restorations” and used the property “occasionally,” according to Mansion Global.