Don’t Mess With Ebby

Property doyenne Ebby Halliday didn’t reach the top of her industry by being a shrinking violet. That was evident during a lunch at the Adolphus’ French Room today celebrating her 98th birthday (it’s actually next month) and a new book, Ebby Halliday: The First Lady of Real Estate, by Mike Poss. While Poss was writing the book, the diminutive Realtor conceded to interviewer Jocelyn White, she threw him onto her desk using a half-nelson wrestling hold, something she learned growing up. Why? Just to prove she could still do it. Ebby also recalled an exchange decades ago with her doctor, after she’d asked him for some investing advice. “I don’t advise women,” the doc said. “Why not?” Ebby inquired, surprised. “Because if they lose, they cry.” “Well,” Ebby retorted evenly, “you try me.” He did; she wound up making several thousand dollars off cotton futures. So what’s the living legend’s next great goal? “Tossing the coin at the Cowboys’ Super Bowl in 2011.”