Barbara Piasecka Johnson: The Maid Who Launched 1,000 Prenups

Jack Kanthal, AP Barbara Piasecka Johnson poses at her estate in Princeton, N.J., Wednesday, June 4, 1986. It's a classic story: Aging wealthy man meets younger woman. They fall in love (or some variation thereof), get married (or at least cohabitate) until he dies (or she gets greedy) and then, a legal battle begins. The two principals, or some of their relatives, hire a passel of lawyers, file mountains of depositions, and pay vast sums to lawyers before reaching some sort of settlement. And though it's a tale oft told, it remains endlessly fascinating as it's replayed, every year or two, with a fresh cast and a new set of headlines. Even years after the events, in the most notorious cases, the principals retain the kind of fame that is so powerful that it doesn't even require a last name. Kimora Lee. Anna-Nicole. Ivana. And Barbara. Barbara Piasecka Johnson was the first contemporary version of the story, the one who arrived on the scene just when celebrity culture was ramping up, fueled by an explosion in mass media and a fascination with the lifestyles of the rich and famous. She was the prototypical rags-to-riches girl, a Polish woman who arrived in New York City in 1968 with $200 in her pocket. Before long, she was working as a cook and maid for the Johnson family, of Johnson & Johnson fame. And it wasn't too long after that before she was winning the heart of J. Seward Johnson Sr., heir to the makers of Band-Aids.