We just can’t get enough of the bygone glory and the modern day circumstance of the late Baron Ricky di Portanova’s party house at 2115 River Oaks Boulevard. Since the heir to the Cullen oil fortune passed away in 2000, the 20,000-square-foot mansion has sold twice and has now hit the market for only the third time in 26 years.
Nancy Almodovar of Nan & Company Properties once again has the listing that in 2001 carried a $16 million asking price. The current owners, who have put their own spin on this historic River Oaks treasure, are coming to the table with a $21.9 million asking price.
Party Royalty
For those unfamiliar with the storied residence, the Italian Baron and his wife — native Houstonian Baroness Alessandra (aka Sandra) di Portanova — brought ostentatious star power and wealth to the otherwise staid River Oaks Boulevard. They threw lavish parties, entertained movie stars and once hosted a James Bond themed party that featured Sir Roger Moore rappelling down the exterior of the house in character as Agent 007.
After purchasing the rather traditional home in the 1970s, the couple transformed it into a party palace, adding a 12,000-square-foot glass-enclosed natatorium, a climate controlled entertaining space centered around an indoor saltwater pool. The addition became the epicenter of the di Portanova’s storied reveling…