Real-life scandals of NYC’s ‘Gilded Age’ more shocking than any HBO show
The Gilded Age,” premiering Monday at 9 p.m. EST, chronicles the lifestyles of the rich and famous in Manhattan during the late 1800s — with ostentatious displays of wealth, ridiculous parties and heaps of tabloid-worthy gossip and scandal.Created by Julian Fellowes, the man behind “Downton Abbey,” the series also highlights the deep-rooted rivalries and prejudices among NYC high society (and the social climbers desperate to get a leg up).Here, The Post looks at some of the wildest stories of the real Gilded Age.To this day, the creations of Gilded Age architect Stanford White define New York City: the Washington Square Arch, Judson Memorial Church and the Players Club, among many other wonders.But it was his 1906 murder, and the shocking reason behind it, that really rocked the city.White, 52, had attended the premiere of the musical “Mam’Zelle Champagne” at the original Madison Square Garden, which he also designed.