A mob wife who claims her mother-in-law conned her out of her childhood home – and now plans to sell it – fought back yesterday with a loud neighborhood protest to scare away buyers.
About 20 friends, co-workers and family members rallied around Donna Malpeso in front of the Staten Island house, which went on the market last week.
“Buyer beware,” read posters tacked up along the tree-lined street. “Granny steals home … throws grandchildren into street.”
Malpeso, who was evicted from the four-bedroom colonial with her two young daughters Aug. 26, claims her mother-in-law, prominent island lawyer Carolyn Halk, swiped the house during a 1995 real-estate transfer.
Malpeso’s father, Kenneth Tillman, has said he planned to sell the house he had owned since 1951 to his daughter – and was shocked when the deed ended up in Halk’s name.
“My father put a lot of sweat and tears into this house,” said Lynn Tillman, one of Donna’s six sisters, who grew up in the home. “This is supposed to be Donna’s house.”
Halk, who cruised by the protest briefly in the morning, had no comment.
Malpeso is estranged from Halk’s son, convicted loan shark Louis Malpeso Jr.
The house was listed with a real-estate company last week for $399,900.
Donna Malpeso said she plans to continue trying to frighten away buyers while waiting for an appeal of her eviction and for her lawyers to file a lawsuit against Halk.
Many of her fellow protesters said they weren’t aware of the problems with the house until they read a story about the eviction in The Post.
“I can’t see anybody putting out children,” said longtime neighbor Dolores Bigliotti. “This is Donna’s house.”