Speaking with a tremor in her voice unlike her more steely trademark style, Schlessinger said Friday at the close of her show: "I deeply regret that, despite any attempts I made to make contact or stay connected, she died without that ever being accomplished. And it's very sad. It's very horrifying, obviously, and very sad."
In her show, Schlessinger frequently draws a distinction between good and bad mothers. The theme is so typical of her that she and her fans wear shirts emblazoned with "I Am My Kid's Mom."
Schlessinger has accused her own mother of falling short. Schlessinger's mother, the former Yolanda Ceccovini, was born and raised in Italy, but immigrated to the United States after meeting an American soldier, Monroe Schlessinger, during World War II, according to Laura Schlessinger's biography.
Ceccovini had been raised Roman Catholic; Schlessinger was Jewish; and their daughter has said that religion was just one of the battlegrounds on which the couple fought in succeeding years. Laura Schlessinger has said she was raised without any religion; she converted to Judaism in 1996.
Masi, the building manager's mother, said Yolanda Schlessinger was a charming, very conversational person, who spoke English as well as Italian and dressed very elegantly.
Although she believed the blond, blue-eyed Schlessinger was in her 70s, Masi said the woman looked much younger and had a youthful, jovial manner.
"It's so strange that she had no visitors," Masi said. She said Schlessinger never mentioned her famous daughter.
Neidorff described her acquaintance, Schlessinger, as a "lovely lady" who seemed "very wise."
"She was very friendly," she said.
"But very private -- an interesting combination. She had an accent that someone told me was Italian.... She never mentioned her daughter."
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Times staff writer Hector Becerra and correspondent Steve Carney contributed to this report.
