Ray Ryan

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Raymond J. Ryan (born January 9, 1904 in Watertown, Wisconsin; died October 18, 1977) was a gambler, an oilman, a promoter, and a developer.

He joined some friends in Tyler, Texas in the 1920s and tried his hand in the oil business. He went broke, but not before learning some powerful lessons about making timely investment decisions. He finally broke into the oil business in a big way in the 1940s in the booming oilfields of southern Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky.

Ray Ryan was a land developer in Palm Springs, California, in the 1950s and 1960s. Palm Springs did not generate much interest until Ray's friend Clark Gable built a home there. Ray joined with 24 others in purchasing the run-down El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs. After restoring it to its former elegance, he bought out his partners in 1960.

A resident of Evansville, Indiana, he was the target of a very public IRS audit in the 1970s over some disallowed deductions stemming from his involvement in the Mount Kenya Safari Club with his friend William Holden.

[edit] Murder in Evansville

On October 18, 1977, Ray Ryan went to a health club, as he often did. When he finished his workout, the 73-year-old Ryan walked outside to his new Lincoln Mark V coupe. Someone (to this date, no one knows who) had rigged a bomb to the ignition of the car. Ryan turned the key and the car exploded violently. The concussion of the blast killed Ryan almost instantly. It took two days to locate and collect all of the pieces of the car – one piece was located 377 feet from the scene.^[1]

Some believe that Ryan was murdered by mob hitmen for angering the wrong people at the wrong time, but the world may never know for sure. As of October 2005, it has been 28 years since Ryan died, and the murder has never been solved. William Holden attended his funeral after his murder in 1977. Joseph Lombardo was later implicated, by government informant Alva Johnson Rodgers, in the deaths of Daniel Siefert and Robert Harder in 1974, Sam Annerino and Raymond Ryan in 1977, and Allen Dorfman in 1983.^[1]

[edit] Rumors about Ryan

According to John Scarne, Ryan cheated Nick The Greek out of over $1 Million in a gin rummy game involving a radio cue hidden underneath his bathing suit in 1951. When some of Nick's friends tried to get the money back, he successfully sued them for extortion, resulting in 10 year prison sentences for those involved. It is said because of this loss, Nick The Greek became broke and his career took a turn for the worst.
Some have said that Mr. Ryan initiated the Palm Springs golf tournament now known as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
It has also been said that Ryan put up the money for the first Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis movie.
Ray also developed the property and marina at Salton Sea near Palm Springs.
Ray Ryan was also involved in the early development of Las Vegas with involvement in early casinos often controlled by the Mafia. At one time he was the top gin rummy player in Vegas and often won and lost large amounts at a time (not just at the table, but on the golf course).
Book in the making with a national publisher on Ray.
Ray and wife Helen were close friends with the Martins and the Lewis'as well as many other very well known stars and stayed close in touch until Helen's death a few years ago. Palm Springs basically happened because of Ray and his fellow investors, thus the stars he knew began building their "get away" homes there. Ray was also invested heavily in many film endeavors and prize fighting.