A New York woman and two of her children are suing another of her children, claiming he ruined the family's florist business by opening a competing shop.

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The $3 million federal suit filed by Kathleen Gregorio and two of her children alleges her son, Sam, stole customer lists, floral supplies and even portfolio photographs from Gregorio's Florist to open a competing shop with a similar name, Sam T. Gregorio's Florist LLC, just down the street, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Charles Gregorio said he left the store in Sam's care while he took a three-week vacation during the summer. He said he returned to find the shop closed and the items missing.

"Within weeks, (Gregorio's) suffered a severe and unprecedented reduction in business and was forced to close its doors," the suit states.

"This action arises out of the heartless and underhanded actions of one brother, whose greed-driven, egregious breach of loyalty destroyed the florist business that had been owned and operated by his family for 84 years," the suit claims.