Hitler's last relatives lead quiet life in a New York suburb

Apr 24, 2006, 22:22 GMT

New York - Three brothers living an uneventful life on Long Island, New York, have decided to write a book about their family. Their famous relative: Adolf Hitler.

Alexander, Louis and Brian Hitler are direct descendants of the Nazi German leader's paternal side, the New York Times reported. A fourth brother, Howard, died in a car accident in 1989. The three are also childless, suggesting that Hitler's bloodline may die with them.

The three brothers run a small landscaping company in Patchogue, Long Island, after living for years in New York City. Their history was already known by immigrant neighbours and has occasionally been exposed by news articles.

But their father, William Patrick Hitler, is now the subject of a play called 'Little Willy' that will appear soon in a New York theatre. Following the play, his sons now plan to write a book on the family and have hired an agent and lawyer.

William is the son of Alois Hitler Jr, half-brother of the feared Nazi dictator because they shared the same father. Alois called William 'Willy,' but Adolf Hitler called him 'my loathsome nephew,' according to the Times.

William was born in Liverpool, England, in 1911 and the family moved to the US in 1939. In Patchogue, William ran a diagnostic blood laboratory while the sons later switched to landscaping.

The Times said the surviving sons refused to give interviews before 'Little Willy' is viewed by the public. Questions abound about William's connection to the Adolf Hitler, including whether he blackmailed his uncle over the leader's half-Jewish blood and whether one of the four sons was really given the middle name Adolf.