Linda Stein, the former manager of The Ramones and real estate agent to the stars, has been murdered in her New York home.

Stein was found dead in the kitchen of her Manhattan apartment on Tuesday night. She was 62.

Police have launched a homicide investigation, after an autopsy revealed she had died from blunt force trauma to the head and neck. There were no signs of forced entry to her Fifth Avenue home.

Stein managed legendary rockers The Ramones during their 1970s heyday, through her marriage to the Warner Brothers Vice President and Sire Records head, Seymour Stein.

Following the breakdown of her marriage, she left her career in artist management and turned to real estate, with clients including actors Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, and singers Sting and Billy Joel.

Stein was also a prolific philanthropist, raising millions of dollars for breast cancer charities, having beaten the disease twice.

She is survived by her two daughters, Mandy and Samantha.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)