“An Unforgivable Betrayal”: Outrage Grows Over Demolition of Les Paul’s Historic Mahwah Sanctuary
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, The catastrophic leveling of music icon Les Paul’s historic estate and home recording studio in Mahwah, New Jersey, has sparked international outrage across the music and preservation communities.
New revelations indicate the loss of the legendary home and workshop was not an unavoidable decay, but rather a deliberate act of “demolition by neglect” overseen by Les Paul Foundation Executive Director Michael Braunstein.
According to statements from family members and preservationists, multiple fully funded offers to restore and landmark the historic site were repeatedly rejected before the property was sold to developers for $990,000 and leveled.
Rejected Lifelines: Offers to Save the Studio Turned Down
Years before bulldozers arrived at the Mahwah property, prominent music producer, vintage guitar collector, and close friend of Les Paul, Perry Margouleff, approached Braunstein with a plan to save the site.
Margouleff—who previously helped secure historic landmark status for legendary jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s recording studio in Bergen County—offered to either assist in restoring the estate or purchase and restore it entirely at his own personal expense.
Despite these offers, the foundation permitted the historic structure to deteriorate unchecked over several years, leading to what Margouleff described as a “horrifying” state of disrepair prior to its demolition.
Gene Paul Speaks Out Against Foundation Leadership
Adding to the controversy, Les Paul’s son, famed Atlantic Records audio engineer Gene Paul, publicly condemned Braunstein for keeping the family uninformed while claiming historic preservation was “impossible.”
“Michael Braunstein pays himself a fortune to protect my father’s legacy, but instead he looked me in the eye, lied to my face, and handed hallowed music history over to the bulldozers,” said Gene Paul. “Dismissing my father’s workshop as ‘just four walls’ isn’t just ignorance—it’s an unforgivable betrayal of our family and Les Paul’s legacy. He must be held accountable.”
Demands for Independent Investigation and Removal
Critics point to Braunstein’s reported annual executive salary of nearly $500,000 to oversee the non-profit foundation, questioning why viable preservation options were brushed aside in favor of selling the land to developers.
The Les Paul family, music historians, and preservation advocacy groups are calling on the Les Paul Foundation’s Board of Directors to initiate an immediate, independent investigation into the handling of the estate, demanding Braunstein’s removal for cause.
For more background on the site’s historical significance, watch the documentary report: The Sad Fate of Les Paul’s Historic Home in Mahwah, NJ.
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