Leonard Tose
Leonard Tose | |
---|---|
Born | Leonard Hyman Tose March 6, 1915 Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | April 15, 2003 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 88)
Occupation | Owner |
Organization | Philadelphia Eagles (1969–1985) |
Spouse(s) | Jayne Orenstein (divorced) Andrea Tose (divorced) Caroline Collum (divorced) Julia Farber (divorced) |
Children | with Orenstein: --Susan Tose Spencer --Nan Tose Schwartz |
Leonard Hyman Tose (March 6, 1915 – April 15, 2003) was an owner of the
Early life
Tose's father, a
Tose was born in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1937.[3]
Career
Philadelphia Eagles owner
A lifelong fan of the
In 1976, he, along with
The
Personal life
Compulsive gambling
In 1991, the Sands sued Tose for $1.23 million in gambling debts. He countersued, contending that the casino got him too drunk to know what he was doing. Eventually, the casino won. There was testimony from a cocktail waitress swearing that her job description was "to keep Mr. Tose's glass filled." The casino provided a monogrammed glass which she was instructed to keep filled with top-shelf scotch.
In the end, Tose lost (by his estimate), more than $20 million at Resorts International and $14 million at the Sands. In 1996, on his 81st birthday, Tose was evicted from his seven-bedroom Villanova mansion after losing the house in a U.S. Marshal's sale.
In 1999, Tose told a congressional hearing on compulsive gambling that his losses totaled between $40 and $50 million. He spent his last years alone in a
Marriages and family
Tose had been married five times. His first wife was Jayne Ester Orenstein, who was also Jewish. [10] They had two daughters, Nan Tose Schwartz and Susan Tose Fletcher.[10][11]
His second wife was Andrea Tose; they divorced in 1981.[11][12]
In 1981, he married his third wife, former stewardess Caroline Collum, who used to be in charge of the Eagle cheerleaders, then known as the Liberty Belles.
By his own admission, Tose was a compulsive gambler and alcoholic with a lifestyle others called flamboyant and he called comfortable.[
During his tenure as owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Tose was instrumental in helping establish the first
Death
Tose died in his sleep in the hospice wing of St. Agnes Medical Center in Philadelphia on April 15, 2003. He was 88. No cause of death was released. An obituary by Dan Dunkin captured his life, "To put Leonard Tose's life in football terms, he threw on every down."
See also
References
- ^ "Leonard H. Tose, 88; Ex-Owner of NFL's Eagles Lost Fortune Gambling". Los Angeles Times. 16 April 2003. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ GQ Magazine: "Leonard Tose" Archived 2013-08-10 at the Wayback Machine September 17, 2012
- ^ "Archives | the Philadelphia Inquirer".
- ISBN 1-59213-449-1.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank (April 16, 2003). "Ex-Eagles owner Leonard Tose dies". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ Hochman, Stan (March 11, 1983). "Eagle Shake-Up Could Mean Murray". The Philadelphia Daily News.
- ^ Fink, James (December 11, 2017). "Buffalo Eagles? Philadelphia Bills? It might have happened, book says". Business First. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ "Tose's Decision to Stay Put Leaves Arizonans Miffed". The Seattle Times. December 17, 1984.
- ^ "New Eagle owner takes helm". The Globe and Mail. April 30, 1985.
- ^ a b King David Memorial Chapel: "In Memory of Jayne Esther Achter July 28, 1919 - January 22, 2012" retrieved January 22, 2014
- ^ a b c New York Times: "BOSS'S DAUGHTER TAKES FIRM COMMAND OF EAGLES" By MICHAEL JANOFSKY May 16, 1983
- ^ a b Victoria Advocate: "And You Though It Was A Game...Eagle's Owner Battles Ex-Wife" by John F. Berry January 18, 1981
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer: "The Trials Of Leonard Tose Court Papers Offer New Image Of Flamboyant Ex-eagles Owner" By Michael Sokolove January 10, 1993
- ^ Philly.com: "The Man Behind The Name On Arts Center" By Peter Dobrin and Stephen Seplow June 14, 2000
- ^ "Our History". Archived from the original on 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2013-01-06.