Heir to A&P; Markets Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Huntington Hartford, the eccentric A&P; supermarket heir and arts patron who squandered a fortune, has filed for bankruptcy protection saying he needs “a breather” to deal with his debts.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition was filed in federal court late Monday to stop Tuesday’s scheduled auction of Hartford’s four-story townhouse in Manhattan. Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co., which said it is owed $595,341 in late mortgage payments, foreclosed on the property in January.

Hartford, who is 80, is the grandson of George Hartford, the prime mover of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. He was described in a book published last year as an elderly alleged drug addict who wasted millions of dollars and is now living in squalor in Manhattan.

In addition to his investment failures, Hartford, who has been married four times, was embroiled in a 1980s scandal when one of his wives pleaded guilty to torturing Hartford’s live-in teen-age secretary by beating her and shaving her head.

The episode caused wealthy fellow tenants to evict him from his swank cooperative apartment.

The bankruptcy filing estimated Hartford’s assets at between $500,000 and $999,000 and liabilities at between $1 million and $9.9 million. Actual figures were not provided. Hartford’s lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Hartford said in the petition that he sought bankruptcy protection because he needs cash to make improvements to his residence and to pay taxes that resulted in the foreclosure proceeding.

“I have found it impossible to catch up on all of my monthly expenses and need a breather in order to put my financial affairs back in order,” Hartford said in the court papers.