Related Party Transactions (Details)						1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended				48 Months Ended
	Feb. 03, 2015 shares	Mar. 14, 2014 USD ($) shares	May. 22, 2013 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Nov. 04, 2011 USD ($) $ / shares shares	May. 11, 2009 USD ($)	May. 31, 2015 shares	Jan. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2008 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2014 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2012 investments	Sep. 10, 2012 USD ($) sqft extension	Oct. 14, 2011 USD ($) shares	Dec. 30, 2010 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership percentage in equity method investment									7.84%
Interest Expense									$ 120,691,000	$ 160,991,000	$ 132,147,000
Square footage of real estate | sqft																12,390
Initial Term of Lease								5 years
Number of Lease Extensions | extension																2
Term of Lease Extensions								5 years
Related Party Transactions, Lease Payments Per Month in Year One																$ 31,000
Related Party Transactions, Lease Payments Per Month in Year Five																35,000
Related Party Transaction, Tenant Improvement Allowance																$ 220,000
Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in equity securities, shares held | shares			240,000
Related Party Transaction, Warrant Exercisable Price | $ / shares				$ 1.68
Related Party Transaction, Management Loan Agreement Portion Attributable to Company				$ 15,000,000
Related Party Transaction, Debt Interest Rate			8.00%						11.00%
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference Per Share | $ / shares			$ 25.00
Investment Income, Dividend									$ 133,000	480,000
Payments to acquire investments			$ 6,000,000
Related Party Transaction, Interest Income From Management Loan									280,000	574,000	1,810,000
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction									1,680,000
Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member] | Vice Chairman [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party, President Compensation									1,300,000	1,375,000	1,250,000
Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member] | Director [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party, President Compensation									38,000	39,000	36,000
Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member] | President and Chief Executive Officer [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party, President Compensation									$ 1,450,000	$ 1,375,000	1,250,000
Executive Vice President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock Ownership In Company Percentage				15.30%
Related Party Transactions, Principal Premium Percentage					107.00%
Percent of ownership by management (more than 10%)													10.00%
Castle Brands [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in equity securities, shares held | shares									12,671,159
Related Party Transaction, Warrant Issued | shares																	357,796
Related Party Transaction, Warrants Convertible to Common Stock | shares										222,222				884,787			357,796
Related Party Transaction, Warrant Exercisable Price | $ / shares														$ 0.38
Related Party Transaction, Management Loan Agreement																		$ 1,000,000
Related Party Transaction, Principal and Interest Exchanged For Preferred Stock																	$ 217,000
Related Party Transaction, Management Loan Agreement Portion Attributable to Company																		$ 200,000
Related Party Transaction, Debt Interest Rate										5.00%			11.00%
Face amount										$ 200,000
Frost Real Estate Holdings, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest Expense									$ 380,000	336,000
Management Fees [Member] | Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party									850,000	850,000	750,000
Management Fees [Member] | Castle Brands [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party									100,000	100,000	100,000
Management Fee Increase [Member] | Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party									850,000
Management Fee Increase [Member] | Castle Brands [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party									100,000
Aggregate Funding Fee [Member] | Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party				$ 75,000
Insurance Commissions [Member] | President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Other Revenues from Transactions with Related Party									$ 217,000	261,000	$ 245,000
Investment [Member] | Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in equity securities, shares held | shares									14,191,200
Investment [Member] | OPKO Inc. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Number of investments | investments															3
Related Party Transaction, Debt Interest Rate							3.00%
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction							$ 5,000,000						$ 12,788,000
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Shares Issued | shares						726,036
Investment [Member] | Cardo Medical Inc. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction												$ 500,000
Investment [Member] | Cocrystal Discovery Inc. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction												$ 250,000
Investment [Member] | Morgans Hotel Group Co. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in equity securities, shares held | shares									2,459,788
Ownership percentage in equity method investment									7.09%
Brokerage Activities [Member] | Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction									$ 453,000
Purchase of Unit in Real Estate Venture [Member] | Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction									5,200,000
6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014 [Member] | Executive Vice President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Management Loan Agreement					$ 50,000,000
Related Party Transaction, Debt Interest Rate					6.75%
Interest Expense									$ 1,094,000	$ 5,415,000
6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014 [Member] | Private Placement Purchase Price [Member] | Executive Vice President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction					$ 38,225,000
5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due November 15, 2011 [Member] | Executive Vice President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Debt Interest Rate					5.00%
5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due November 15, 2011 [Member] | Private Placement Tender Offer [Member] | Executive Vice President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction					$ 11,005,000
Warrant [Member] | New Valley LLC [Member] | Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in equity securities, shares held | shares				1,000,000
Convertible Debt [Member] | 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014 [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Amount		$ 25,000,000
Note conversion, net of income taxes (in shares) | shares	2,338,930	2,338,930
Convertible Debt [Member] | 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014 [Member] | Executive Vice President [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Stock Ownership In Company Percentage					11.70%