Giants, who played in the Polo Grounds, held NFL territorial rights, and refused to permit this. During 1945, Topping's Brooklyn Tigers were merged with the Boston Yanks and the amalgam split its home games between Boston and Brooklyn as "The Yanks". Topping moved his team to Yankee Stadium anyway, joining the newly formed All-America Football Conference. Topping's team retained none of his players during the jump, in that the NFL ruled that the Yanks players remained under contract with Boston, but he was able to sign some of his former Brooklyn Dodger players to the football New York Yankees. The team was not one of the AAFC teams admitted to the NFL in 1950, and folded, with most of Topping's players going to Ted Collins's New York Yanks. MacPhail became increasingly erratic and manical. After a drunken episode at the Biltmore at a Yankees 1947 World Series celebration dinner, MacPhail sold his share of the team to Topping and Webb for $2 million. Topping and Webb became co-owners of the Yankees, each with a 50% share. Webb became active in American League affairs, while Topping directed team operations. The two sold a 80% interest in the team to CBS in 1964 for $11.2 million. Webb and Topping each retained a ten percent share of the club. Webb sold his interest in 1965. Topping remained as team president until 1966, when he sold his remaining stake in the Yankees. Personal life Topping was married six times, five of which ended in divorce. He married heiress Theodora Boettger in 1932. They were divorced in 1935. His second marriage was to actress Arline Judge in 1937. They divorced in 1940, and Judge went on to marry his brother Henry. Dan Topping was then married to three-time Olympic figure skating gold medalist Sonja Henie from 1940 to 1946. His fourth marriage was to actress Kay Sutton in 1946. From 1954 to 1958, Topping was married to Manhattan model Alice Lowthers. His final marriage was to Charlotte Lillard, which lasted from 1957 until his death. Topping fathered nine children, including Dan Topping Jr. He died of complications from emphysema in Miami Beach, Florida, on May 18, 1974, at age 61. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York. References External links 1912 births 1974 deaths People from Greenwich, Connecticut Hun School of Princeton alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni United States Marine Corps