This East Los Angeles native was taught the auto trade by his dad, Einar, who worked as a truck and equipment mechanic. While the young man never graduated from high school or went to college, he had a businessman’s head and an entrepreneur’s drive.
One of his early jobs was as a messenger boy for MGM Studios, where he eventually worked his way up to placing gossip tips. Following a stint serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he returned to MGM, but was laid off shortly thereafter. That propelled him to create a consulting firm, Hollywood Publicity Associates. One of his clients was a group that sponsored auto racing on the dry lakes that dotted the Mojave Desert. It was that event that launched his career.
He became a successful, wealthy businessman who was able to indulge in his great love for cars. His flourishing career also enabled him to partake in a second love—guns and hunting. He and his wife regularly went on safari to Africa and India, and over time, he amassed one of America’s finest firearm collections.
Click here to learn more about the firearm shown here, and the business titan who owned it. It’s just one of the many fascinating treasures on display at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va.
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