Controversial benefactor in $16M violin deal with the NJSO dies at 89

Over the years, Herbert Axelrod claimed to have studied math under Albert Einstein, exchanged letters with Winston Churchill on the merits of goldfish, and hunted for jaguars in Brazil on behalf of the Walt Disney Company.

But it was his claim of a unique collection of rare and valuable violins, violas and cellos by such masters as Stradivarius, Guarneri del Ges, and others that might have raised the most questions.

Axelrod, a wealthy philanthropist and arts patron who gained notoriety over a $16 million deal with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for a collection later found to be overvalued, died last week at his home in Switzerland, said a spokeswoman for the Zurich Opera House, where he was a major benefactor.

"Dr. Axelrod was a devoted friend of classical music and the world of opera," the Zurich Opera said.

Alan Lebensfeld, his long-time attorney, said in a statement, "Herb was a man for all seasons and a man for all reasons. Brilliant, benevolent and unflappable. He changed many people's lives for the better. I will miss him greatly."

NJSO President & CEO Gabriel van Aalst expressed condolences on his passing.

"We are appreciative of the decades of generous support Herbert Axelrod and his wife, Evelyn, gave to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra," van Aalst said.

Axelrod made his fortune through a Neptune pet care publishing empire and was known as a generous patron of the arts who liked to live large. There was a multi-million-dollar mansion in Deal, a 52-foot Viking sports fishing boat he kept at the Hemingway Marina in Cuba, and his beloved Habana cigars.

Burly and bearded, he was not shy about talking about himself, once telling a reporter if he were to write a book telling his own life story, "you wouldn't believe it."

In his bios, he often described himself as an author, university professor, lecturer, publisher, editor, explorer, adventurer and scientist, as well as "the world's best-known tropical fish expert."

Friends and acquaintances described him as charming.

But in lawsuits coming out of the sale of his publishing company, he was described as a shrewd con artist.

Born in Bayonne during the Great Depression, Axelrod was the son of Russian immigrants--his father a mathematics teacher at Bayonne High School and his mother worked for the Navy. After high school he joined the Army, served in Korea, and said he enrolled at New York University on the GI Bill.

After returning from the war Axelrod founded TFH Publications, which was named for the company's flagship magazine, Tropical Fish Hobbyist. TFH became the world's leading publisher of books on pet care and Axelrod wrote hundreds of books on fish, publishing his first book, "Tropical Fish as a Hobby," in 1949.

He said he studied violin in his youth, but admitted he was not a huge talent. As his publishing company grew, however, he began acquiring instruments and donating large sums of money to theater and the arts. He would frequently lend the instruments to musicians.

It was his deal with the New Jersey Symphony, though, that put him in the public spotlight. In 2002, Axelrod made an offer to sell his collection of 17th- and 18th-century instruments instruments to his home-state orchestra for $25 million--half of what he claimed they were worth.

"I want to put New Jersey on the map, " Axelrod declared when he put his instruments offer on the table. "I want this to be the best-sounding orchestra in the world."

The symphony, seeing the opportunity for international attention and increased attendance with a concentration of instruments like no other orchestra's in the world, launched a massive fund-raising drive. After a year of wrangling with Axelrod, the orchestra wound up borrowing millions to make the deal, including $4 million from Axelrod himself, to buy what was dubbed "The Golden Age Collection."

Questions about the true nature of the collection began to swirl almost immediately after Axelrod was charged in an unrelated federal tax fraud involving the use of Swiss bank accounts to funnel more than $1.4 million in payments to a vice president of his former pet publishing company. He fled to Cuba, and then to Europe, where was arrested and returned to the United States.

In the wake of his arrest, orchestra officials defended the costly purchase. But experts with extensive experience in authenticating and valuing rare stringed instruments interviewed by The Star-Ledger soon expressed doubt over whether a number of the instruments were authentic.

An internal NJSO inquiry mounted in the wake of newspaper's report' concurred with the findings.

Axelrod would plead guilty to the tax fraud charges, while federal prosecutors decided not to seek criminal charges in connection with the NJSO sale. Saddled with debt tied to the deal, the symphony sold the collection in 2007.

When he got out of prison for tax fraud, friends greeted Axelrod with a plastic baggy filled with Cuban cigars. He opened the bag, lifted them to his nose and rejoiced. "I'm very pleased to be out, and I don't recommend it to anyone, " he said.

Duane Rosenegard, a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, said he believed people will mostly remember Axelrod's acts of philanthropy.

"I had a lot of colleagues and friends who were lent instruments by Dr. Axelrod over decades," he said. "I don't think he'll be remembered by our colleagues for the fiasco with the NJSO."

(Staff writer Jeff Goldman contributed to this report.)

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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