Raymond J. Ryan (January 9, 1904 in Watertown, Wisconsin – October 18, 1977) was a gambler, an oilman, a promoter, and a developer.
In the 1920s he ventured into the oil business, but was unsuccessful. In the process, he did, however, learn some powerful lessons about making timely investment decisions. He finally succeeded in the oil business in the 1940s due to the booming oilfields of southern Indiana, Illinois, and western Kentucky.
Ryan was also a land developer in Palm Springs, California, in the 1950s and 1960s. Real estate development in Palm Springs did not generate much interest until actor Clark Gable built a home there. Ray joined with 24 other investors to purchase the run-down El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs. After restoring it to its former elegance, he bought out his partners in 1960. In 1962 Ryan, with partner Ernie Dunlevie, opened the Bermuda Dunes Country Club which later became a host club for the Bob Hope Classic golf tournament and where Clark Gable built a home on the sixth fairway.
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, in Nanyuki, Kenya, with actor William Holden.
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 had, however, connected a bomb to the ignition of the car. As soon as Ryan turned the key the car exploded violently. The impact of explosion 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 of the explosion.[1]
As of October 2005, 28 years since the murder of Ryan, the case remains unsolved.
2. Marynell, Herb. Ray Ryan - Life as a Gamble. http://www.haciendahotsprings.com/RayRyan.htm