"I would assume that Rocky would be Arthur Wirtz grandson?" |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Contributors
Recent Comments
Retirement Fund
Favorite Links
- Circus Historical Society
- Circus News
- Circus Fans Association of America
- Showfolks of Sarasota
- Arkansas Elephant Sanctuary
- Jim's "All My Days are Circus Days"
- Pat Cashin's Clown Alley
- Bill Strong's Yesterday's Towns
- Circus Links
- Circus Model Builders
- Magic Gallery
- Tim Perkins Blog
- Trumble's Carson & Barnes Blog
- Dick Dykes
- Wade G Burck
- Chuck Mayo
- The Circus Blog
- Jackie LeClaire
Subscribe
Blog Archive
- March 2023 (15)
- February 2022 (5)
- November 2021 (33)
- October 2021 (3)
- September 2021 (61)
- August 2021 (37)
- May 2021 (39)
- April 2021 (10)
- March 2021 (17)
- February 2021 (103)
- January 2021 (137)
- December 2020 (21)
- November 2020 (76)
- October 2020 (151)
- September 2020 (73)
- August 2020 (65)
- July 2020 (181)
- June 2020 (174)
- May 2020 (225)
- April 2020 (181)
- March 2020 (124)
- February 2020 (221)
- December 2019 (36)
- November 2019 (77)
- October 2019 (166)
- September 2019 (146)
- August 2019 (62)
- July 2019 (250)
- June 2019 (238)
- May 2019 (311)
- April 2019 (355)
- March 2019 (367)
- February 2019 (313)
- January 2019 (373)
- December 2018 (377)
- November 2018 (348)
- October 2018 (378)
- September 2018 (381)
- August 2018 (542)
- July 2018 (514)
- June 2018 (153)
- May 2018 (4)
- April 2018 (3)
- March 2018 (110)
- February 2018 (296)
- January 2018 (590)
- December 2017 (569)
- November 2017 (587)
- October 2017 (565)
- September 2017 (405)
- August 2017 (509)
- July 2017 (575)
- June 2017 (558)
- May 2017 (653)
- April 2017 (562)
- March 2017 (507)
- February 2017 (451)
- January 2017 (516)
- December 2016 (367)
- November 2016 (479)
- October 2016 (449)
- September 2016 (517)
- August 2016 (427)
- July 2016 (400)
- June 2016 (360)
- May 2016 (272)
- April 2016 (374)
- March 2016 (481)
- February 2016 (405)
- January 2016 (429)
- December 2015 (240)
- November 2015 (381)
- October 2015 (477)
- September 2015 (461)
- August 2015 (427)
- July 2015 (463)
- June 2015 (421)
- May 2015 (350)
- April 2015 (416)
- March 2015 (467)
- February 2015 (441)
- January 2015 (460)
- December 2014 (408)
- November 2014 (379)
- October 2014 (416)
- September 2014 (378)
- August 2014 (413)
- July 2014 (414)
- June 2014 (482)
- May 2014 (429)
- April 2014 (367)
- March 2014 (458)
- February 2014 (406)
- January 2014 (390)
- December 2013 (508)
- November 2013 (353)
- October 2013 (423)
- September 2013 (468)
- August 2013 (536)
- July 2013 (490)
- June 2013 (447)
- May 2013 (411)
- April 2013 (401)
- March 2013 (407)
- February 2013 (372)
- January 2013 (432)
- December 2012 (413)
- November 2012 (388)
- October 2012 (398)
- September 2012 (376)
- August 2012 (387)
- July 2012 (382)
- June 2012 (351)
- May 2012 (356)
- April 2012 (367)
- March 2012 (351)
- February 2012 (336)
- January 2012 (410)
- December 2011 (393)
- November 2011 (283)
- October 2011 (333)
- September 2011 (363)
- August 2011 (356)
- July 2011 (336)
- June 2011 (363)
- May 2011 (351)
- April 2011 (324)
- March 2011 (327)
- February 2011 (253)
- January 2011 (368)
- December 2010 (359)
- November 2010 (315)
- October 2010 (342)
- September 2010 (345)
- August 2010 (352)
- July 2010 (344)
- June 2010 (335)
- May 2010 (338)
- April 2010 (321)
- March 2010 (369)
- February 2010 (318)
- January 2010 (338)
- December 2009 (358)
- November 2009 (338)
- October 2009 (354)
- September 2009 (368)
- August 2009 (354)
- July 2009 (401)
- June 2009 (403)
- May 2009 (375)
- April 2009 (346)
- March 2009 (406)
- February 2009 (341)
- January 2009 (353)
- December 2008 (351)
- November 2008 (362)
- October 2008 (391)
- September 2008 (375)
- August 2008 (382)
- July 2008 (324)
- June 2008 (349)
- May 2008 (375)
- April 2008 (383)
- March 2008 (369)
- February 2008 (426)
- January 2008 (457)
- December 2007 (360)
- November 2007 (369)
- October 2007 (359)
- September 2007 (361)
- August 2007 (370)
- July 2007 (341)
- June 2007 (307)
- May 2007 (298)
- April 2007 (391)
- March 2007 (374)
- February 2007 (326)
- January 2007 (385)
- December 2006 (343)
- November 2006 (252)
- October 2006 (213)
- September 2006 (174)
- August 2006 (180)
- July 2006 (176)
- June 2006 (155)
- May 2006 (178)
- April 2006 (170)
- March 2006 (149)
- February 2006 (134)
- January 2006 (154)
- December 2005 (135)
- November 2005 (137)
- October 2005 (113)
- September 2005 (100)
- August 2005 (102)
- July 2005 (103)
- June 2005 (43)
5 comments:
Wasn't there a Norris connected to boxing way back when?
Bob Kitto
Mr. Arthur Wirtz was quite an emprisario. He started the first traveling "ice show" HOLIDY ICE REVUE" FEATURING sONJA hEINI. hEV AND PARTNER Jim Norris had the International boxing club promoting the major championships of the day such as Sugar Ray Robinson and Tony Zale. He bought the Barnes-Carruthers Agency [producers of major state fair revues,etc.] He bought the Cole Bros. Circus. He called his big Chicago Stadium Spring circus;first GREATER OLYMPIA, then BARNES BROS and finally for the last few years Cole Bros. He owned or controlled 17 major building-arenas including MSQ, Detroit Olympia, St. Louis Arena and his flagship Chicago Stadium. During that time it seated more people than any other venue including The Garden. He owned the Blackhawks and the Stadium was their home base. He powned and operated the huge Bismark Hotel. He was the prime holder of lucrative real estate in the Chicago area. A big portly man with zest and charming personality. It would be interesting to know how he handled the entrenched Chicago mob during those years and also the politically charged Democrats. Quite a man and I and especially my father worked for him for a number of years. He owned in his later years both Ice Follies and Holiday On Ice that he sold to Feld and the rest of that is history. john herriott
The Wirtz Family also owns WBC (Wirtz Beverage Corp)which did 1.5 BILLION dollars in liquor sales last year. The firm was founded in 1926 (during Prohibition). Col. Herriot begs ponders how Arthur Wirtz Senior was able to deal with the Chicago mob...evidently very well!
John, that is an excellent bio of Arthur Wirtz.
Regarding the mob, Wirtz' IBC (International Boxing Club)had a nice little working arrangement with Blinky Palermo, St.Louis mob and Frankie Carbo, Murder Inc. and NY'S Lucchese Family
For several years Wirtz and the "boys" promoted around 107 of 112 championship boxing matches and MOST of the OUTCOMES.
"Predicting" the outcome of the fights was worth a fortune in tax free $.
The "heat" started to rise and Senator Estes Kefauver started
sniffing around.
Arthur Wirtz,quickly,lowered his IBC profile and hired an African American, named Truman Gibson, to be the head of IBC.
Bobby Kennedy, then U.S.Attorney General, prosecuted Truman, Blinky and Frankie and put them all in jail.
Rumors had it that Wirtz took good care of Truman, when he got out of the joint.
In addition to their powerful Illinois liquor business, and other businesses, the Wirtz family owns a most of Chicago's Lake Shore Drive.
Arthur Wirtz got started working for Jim Norris Jr.
Pretty soon, the TAIL WAS WAGGING THE DOG !
The Wirtz Family has another circus connection besides Ringling.
Popular circus clown and ringmaster, John "Eggroll" Kane's nephew, Patrick Kane, is a right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks, which is owned buy the Wirtz empire.
After Patrick's rookie season he signed a 5 year, 31.5 MILLION DOLLAR contract.
John "Eggroll" Kane recently signed a contract to appear with the Big Apple Circus for the 2012-2013 season; details of his contract have not been disclosed, but it is safe to say that "Millions" is not involved.
Post a Comment