Grand Dame’s Oceanfront Newport Mansion

Victoria Leiter Mele, the daughter of one of Newport Rhode Island's most beloved grande dames, opens up her family's home affectionately  named, The Whim (which was once an eight-car garage!) Her mother was Marion "Oatsie" Charles a prominent Washington, D.C., socialite known for rubbing shoulders with the likes of John F. Kennedy, Truman Capote and Nancy Reagan. For many years Oatsie (and later Victoria and her family) lived next door at Land's End, an 11,000 square foot mansion once owned by author Edith Wharton. Victoria's son, Nick Mele, is the author of the new coffee table book "A Newport Summer," and is one of Newport's most celebrated photographers capturing the life of Newport's high society in this idyllic summer setting.