Georgia Frontiere

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Georgia Frontiere

Born September 11, 1927(1927-09-11)
St. Louis, Missouri
Died January 18, 2008 (aged 80)
Los Angeles, California
Cause of death Breast cancer
Occupation St. Louis Rams Owner

Georgia Frontiere (née Irwin) (November 21, 1927 – January 18, 2008), was the co-owner and chairwoman of the St. Louis Rams. She grew up in a middle class home, the daughter of an insurance salesman and entertainer Lucia Pamela. When she was 15 years old, her parents divorced and a shaken Frontiere eloped with her boyfriend, a US Army soldier who died in World War II. After going to college at Pepperdine University for business and working for several years as a secretary, Frontiere decided that she wanted to enter show business. She moved to Los Angeles and later Miami, where she worked as a dancer, a singer, a weather forecaster, and in various other jobs.

In 1957, Frontiere, a well known Miami dancer, began running with an elite crowd. It was Joseph P. Kennedy, father of future president John F. Kennedy, who introduced Frontiere to Carroll Rosenbloom, her sixth of seven husbands, NFL owner and millionaire uniforms manufacturer.

Frontiere inherited ownership of the team, then based in Anaheim, California, in 1979, after the death of her husband. Rosenbloom, an avid ocean swimmer, died mysteriously in the Atlantic. Although no evidence of foul play was uncovered, it is rumored that Rosenbloom, a high stakes gambler, was killed over failure to repay debts. The PBS series Frontline investigated the story and reported mafia involvement.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Frontiere moved the Rams to St. Louis, which was a financially risky proposition initially but soon proved to be a goldmine as the city of St. Louis provided a publicly funded stadium for $260 million, and more than $22 million was guaranteed in annual luxury suite and ticket revenues. In the 1999 season, under head coach Dick Vermeil and MVP quarterback Kurt Warner beat the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV and Georgia was on the platform hugging Vermeil when the Vince Lombardi Trophy was awarded to the Rams as the winners.

In 2004 Frontiere was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died, aged 80, on January 18, 2008 at UCLA Medical Center.


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Persondata
NAME Frontiere, Georgia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Irwin, Georgia (birth name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION American football owner
DATE OF BIRTH September 11, 1927]]
PLACE OF BIRTH St. Louis, Missouri
DATE OF DEATH January 18, 2008
PLACE OF DEATH Los Angeles, California