Tavern on the Green auction raises $3.5 million

A court-ordered auction of the glitzy decor of Manhattan's Tavern on the Green has raised millions of dollars to go toward the bankrupt restaurant's $8-million debt.

The three-day sale that ended Friday included more than 20,000 items filling the landmark establishment in Central Park - from crystal chandeliers and china to kitchen equipment and knickknacks such as a pig-shaped weather vane.

The auction brought in about $3.5 million - far short of the $8 million owed to more than 400 creditors. The highest bid - $180,000 - was for a Tiffany glass ceiling used in other restaurants once owned by the late Tavern operator Warner LeRoy, the Russian Tea Room and Maxwell's Plum. The restaurant's most valuable item - its name - is now at the center of a Manhattan federal court case. - AP