Leona Helmsley's "fierce and vicious" Maltese

Okay, I know Leona Helmsley has a rep for being fierce and vicious, but is her cute, little Maltese that way, as well?

A former housekeeper said that she was working in Helmsley's 46th-floor apartment overlooking Central Park South when Trouble struck. (That's "Trouble" with a capital "T"--Leona's dog is named Trouble.) The maid claimed she "was viciously attacked and bitten about her right hand" by the 6-year-old Maltese and suffered "severe and serious personal injuries."

A judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed against Leona by the housekeeper, but the ruling doesn't clear Trouble's reputation. The suit was rejected because Leona's employee, "was injured while doing her job and therefore was entitled only to the benefits she had collected under the Workers' Compensation Law."

Then again, maybe it isn't the dog's fault at all; instead, Leona's late husband, real-estate tycoon Harry Helmsley, is to blame! Why? It is said that Leona believes her late husband communicates to her through the pooch.

Said one associate, "She didn't use the term 'channeling,' but she gave me the clear impression that Harry was speaking through the dog."

In addition to not liking the housekeeper, the late Mr. Helmsley is said to have told Trouble to tell Leona that the he doesn't like the public mausoleum that's been built next to his private crypt at Woodlawn Cemetery.

You can read more the lawsuit against Trouble and Leona on Newsday.com. And click here to read the New York Daily News article about how Harry communicates from the beyond.