Age: 64Died: May 16, 1990, Beverly Hills
Cause:Throat Cancer
Family: Daughter, two adopted sons, wife, two ex-wives
Estate Mistake: Although he made more than $50 Million in his lifetime, Sammy left $5 Million to his wife. The bigger problem was he owed $7 Million in taxes and had no means such as life insurance to satisfy the debt.
His widow, Altovise Davis, sold many of his personal belongings at auction to help pay the debt, but reportedly only got about $500,000. In 2008, Altovise sued two former business partners she claimed tricked her into signing over rights to the estate. She died on March 15, 2009.