John G. Chiarella, Jr. and Christine Svenningsen's "Rogers Island" Estate

Located off the coast of the town of Branford, CT, in the Stony Creek area, is the home of John G. Chiarella, Jr. and Christine Svenningsen Chiarella. John G. Chiarella, Jr. is a landscaping entrepreneur who is the President of Ultimate Services Professional Grounds Management. Christine Svenningsen is the middle-aged widow of a party goods magnate John Svenningsen, who was the President of Amscan. She married her current husband, John G. Chiarella, Jr. in a wedding ceremony on the island in the summer of 2010. Mr. Chairella graduated from The University of Connecticut (UCONN) in 1975 with a degree in horticulture.

Rogers Island is one of the Thimble Islands off Stony Creek, a section of Branford, Connecticut. Also known as Yon Comis Island, Rogers Island is a 7.75-acre estate with a 27-room Tudor-style mansion built in 1902, and features a tennis court, swimming pool, basketball court, putting green, and elaborate formal gardens. There is also a caretaker's residence. The mains house on the estate has 8 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 half bathrooms, and a total of 8,746 square feet of finished living space. The current appraise value of the property is $22,782,571, according to public property records.

In total there a 24 Thimble Islands, and Chistine Svenningsen and Richard Chiarella own 10 of them. There have been a lot of discussions in the town of Branford about what she and her husband plan on doing with them. Mr. Chiarella manages the upkeep of all of their islands. The island was purchased in 2003 for $22.3 million, making it one of the most expensive private islands in the world and one of the most expensive private properties in the entire country. The ownership of the island is listed under an LLC called Rogers Island LLC. The previous owners of the island were Richard J. Demato, Jr. and Harriet S. Demato, who purchased the property in 1992 for $2,650,000.