April 25, 2025 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Trump’s “Fifth Avenue White House” designed by a gay man who died of AIDS in 1985

Angelo Donghia was more characteristically known for his restrained interiors.
Angelo Donghia was more characteristically known for his restrained interiors.

BY TROY MASTERS | There’s a lot to be said for an interior design execution that survives three wives and 33 years unchanged. But Donald Trump’s gilded penthouse, the soon to be “Fifth Avenue White House,” is just such a place.

Credit — some might say blame — goes to a gay man who enjoyed a close personal relationship with Donald and Ivana Trump, a relationship that lasted until his 1985 death from AIDS complications.

The dripping confection was created by Angelo Donghia, who, at the time of his death in 1985, was among the earliest famous people to die of AIDS.

The New York Times, reported the cause of his death was “pneumonia,” and called Donghia “one of America’s most influential interior designers.”

His company, Donghia Companies, reportedly grossed $67.5 million in 1982, the same year he executed Trump’s penthouse and the lobby at Trump Tower. The company, which still exists, included not only the design firm, Donghia Associates, but also companies that marketed a line of furnishing and textiles that are still on display in the Trump residence.

sf-otto_tr_a95sf46-106

 

lobbyThe three-level, 60th floor penthouse certainly gives 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a run for its money.

The decor is an almost surreal mixture of gilded mirror-crazy Louis XV trump (sic) l’oeil, floor to ceiling marble, Greek mythological everything-you-can-imagine with flourishes sure to make any Shah of Iran or Russian Czar feel downright at home.

landscape-1462813673-donald-trump-index donald-melania-trump-manhattan-penthouse_8

Given Trump’s penchant for stiffing people who work for him, it is fair to wonder whether or not Donghia was paid for his services. Trump has filed Chapter 11 six times, four times within two years in the 1990s, once more in 2004 and most recently in 2009. Donghia’s company is not among the creditors listed. Calls to Donghia’s legacy company to confirm payment have, so far, gone unreturned.

Among Donghia’s most well-known clients were the fashion designers Halston and Ralph Lauren, entertainment personalities Barbara Walters, Mary Tyler Moore, Neil Simon and Diana Ross and a long list of corporate executives.

By the time Donghia completed work at Trump Tower he had become a close personal friend of Ivana Trump’s. The pair traveled throughout Europe on a massive, whirlwind shopping tour and were often seen on the town in Manhattan, Donald in tow.

The timing of the completion of his work at Trump Tower and his death suggests that he would have already been experiencing complications of HIV while working for Donald and Ivana.

Donghia was, however, said to have suffered in isolation for about 2 years prior to his death, eventually telling only a handful of friends who, according to a 1987 article in Vanity Fair, were sworn to secrecy. The stigma of AIDS at the time of Donghia’s death was career ending.

Whether Donald or Ivana Trump were among those made aware of his illness is not known.

“Ivana and Donald had a number of close friends die of AIDS during the 1980s and I am absolutely certain Angelo’s illness was something neither of them would have been off put by — they would have been supportive,” an anonymous Trump associate told The Pride LA. “Several friends died of AIDS.”

Less than one year later, Trump mentor Roy Cohn would also be dead from complications of AIDS.

Trump hangs with gay lawyer Roy Cohn known for McCarthy hearings and Barbara Walters, a long time Trump friend.
Trump hangs with gay lawyer Roy Cohn known for McCarthy hearings and Barbara Walters, a long time Trump friend.

The deaths had an impact on the Trump’s.

Donald and Ivana attended AIDS fundraisers in the 1990s. Trump’s sister-in-law, Blaine Trump, was a board member of God’s Love We Deliver, an agency that provided meals to homebound people living with AIDS. When Joan Rivers won The Apprentice in 2008, she designated God’s Love We Deliver the sole recipient of her winnings.

Angelo Donghia certainly had Donald pegged: ”He knows exactly who he is, and what he wants,” Donghia told Town & Country in 1983.

“He has very quick judgment and a very definite attitude about what he likes. With Donald, you don’t spend a lot of time wondering whether something is right or wrong—it’s (a) or it’s (b) and that’s that. And everything you do for him,” Donghia, stressing Trump’s favorite word, said, “has to be done GREAT.”

in AIDS, NEWS
Related Posts

The Brian Jonestown Massacre Drops New Double A-Side Ahead of U.S. Tour

April 24, 2025

April 24, 2025

Legendary Psych-Rockers Set April 25 Release and Fall North American Tour The Brian Jonestown Massacre is set to release a...

(Video) Matú Kai Brentwood: The full experience

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills, located at 11777 San Vicente Blvd. Sister restaurant to Matú in Beverly Hills,...

Uncle Stevey’s Bagels Wins Westside Hearts with Next-Level Bagels, Premium Sandwiches, and Local Coffee

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Family-Run Shop Serves Delicious and Thoughtfully Curated Bagels With Love By Dolores Quintana A little more than a year since...

Santa Monica’s Socalo Toasts Pali Wine Co. with a Five-Course Culinary Celebration

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Enjoy Celebrated Central Coast Wines, Including a 100-Point Red Blend Socalo, the acclaimed Mexican restaurant from celebrity chefs Mary Sue...

Go Go Bird Teams Up with Chef Chris Oh for Korean-Inspired Fried Chicken Sandwich

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Crispy, Saucy, Spicy: Chris Oh’s Fried Chicken Sandwich Lands in Culver City Go Go Bird, located in Culver City’s Citizen...

Fogo de Chão Hosts Wine Lover’s Dream Night with Chilean Winery VIK

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

Diners Will Enjoy a Chef-Curated South American Menu, Highly Rated Wines Wine lovers and culinary connoisseurs are invited to gather...

(Video) A Myriad of Ways to Unlock Your Beauty Offered at Mirror Mirror Med Spa

April 23, 2025

April 23, 2025

For More Info, Go To Mirrormedspa.com For More Info, Go To https://t.co/KJ6rMHm6wj pic.twitter.com/hRl6JlLSNy — Palisades News (@PalisadesNewsLA) April 23, 2025

City Council Member John Erickson Honors Pope Francis After His Passing

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Pope of the People Remembered by West Hollywood City Council Member  West Hollywood City Council member and former Mayor John...

Cinespia Returns to Hollywood Forever With Cult Classics and a David Lynch Tribute

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Becomes a Moviegoer’s Paradise Once Again Cinespia, Los Angeles’ beloved outdoor cinema series, will return to Hollywood...

WeHo’s Spring Fest Makes a Splash With Free Games, Music, and Pool Time

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Family-Friendly Fun Awaits at West Hollywood Park and Aquatic Center Families and residents are invited to dive into fun at...

Major I-405 Rehab Project Unveiled: Caltrans to Host Virtual Info Meeting

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Sepulveda Pass Overhaul: New Pavement, Safer Roads, Better Commutes The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will hold a virtual informational...

Representative Brad Sherman in Person at CSUN Town Hall This Weekend

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Constituents of California’s 32nd District Invited to an In-Person Q&A Session U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman will hold an in-person town...

San Fernando Valley Man Gets 5 Years for Beverly Hills Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Federal Prison for ID Thief Who Raided Beverly Hills Mailboxes for Millions A North Hills man was sentenced Monday to...

Academy Announces Major Changes for 98th Oscars, Including AI Rules and New Casting Award

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

Academy Now Requires Viewing All Nominees to Cast Final Ballots The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled...

Pepper Spray and Panic: LA Homeowners Targeted in Nighttime Burglaries

April 22, 2025

April 22, 2025

LAPD Hunts Suspects After One Resident Attacked in Beverly Grove Two separate home invasions late Friday night in Beverly Grove...