Mervyn Lee Adelson (October 23, 1929 – September 8, 2015) was an American real estate developer and television producer who co-founded Lorimar Television.

Early life

Adelson was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

on October 23, 1929 to Nathan and Pearl Adelson (née Swartz). His parents were the children of immigrants from

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

who had settled in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

. When he was a child, he worked in a grocery store run by his family.

Career

In the 1950s Adelson established himself in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

where he first met Irwin Molasky and

Moe Dalitz Morris Barney Dalitz (December 25, 1899 – August 31, 1989) was an American gangster, businessman, casino owner, and philanthropist. He was one of the major figures who shaped Las Vegas in the 20th century. He was often referred to as "Mr. Las V ...

.Ed Koch
Desert Inn, Stardust chief helped integrate Las Vegas Strip
'' Las Vegas Sun'', September 1, 2008 The trio were responsible for building the

Las Vegas Country Club The Las Vegas Country Club is a private membership club located in the Winchester area of metropolitan Las Vegas, Nevada. History It was built on the site of a 1950s horse and automobile racetrack named Las Vegas Park and later the Las Vegas Park ...

as well as what became

Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center is a for-profit hospital owned by the Hospital Corporation of America and operated by Sunrise Healthcare System. It is located in the Las Vegas Valley in Winchester, Nevada. History Sunrise was founded in 1958. I ...

. Molasky and Adelson later opened

Omni La Costa Resort and Spa The Omni La Costa Resort & Spa is a luxury destination resort hotel opened in 1965, located in Carlsbad, California, and is owned by Omni Hotels & Resorts, based out of Dallas, Texas. The resort is located in the San Diego area hills and is known ...

in 1965. Adelson soon left the real estate industry and co-founded Lorimar Television with Molasky and

Lee Rich Lee Rich (December 19, 1918 – May 24, 2012) was an American film and television producer, who won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy award for ''The Waltons'' as the producer. He is also known as the co-founder and former chairman o ...

in 1969.

Personal life and death

Adelson was married and subsequently divorced five times. His first wife was Lori Kaufman with whom he had a daughter and two sons: Ellen Adelson Ross,

Andrew Adelson Andrew Adelson (born July 28, 1954) is an American television producer. Biography Adelson is the son Lori (née Kaufman) and Merv Adelson. He has one sister and a brother: Ellen Adelson Ross and Gary Adelson. Filmography References Exter ...

, and Gary Adelson. His second wife was Gail Kenaston, adopted daughter of silent film star

Billie Dove Lillian Bohny (born Bertha Eugenie Bohny; May 14, 1903 – December 31, 1997), known professionally as Billie Dove, was an American actress. Early life and career Dove was born Bertha Eugenie Bohny in New York City in 1903 to Charles and Ber ...

.Los Angeles Times: "Gail Adelson; Hostess, Home Designer to the Stars" by Myrna Oliver
February 22, 1999 His third wife was the television journalist Barbara Walters to whom he was married from 1981 until 1984. They remarried in 1986 and divorced for the second time in 1992. They met on a blind date. His fourth wife was Thea Nesis with whom he had adopted two daughters, Lexi and Ava Nesis. All his marriages ended in divorce. Adelson died in

on September 8, 2015 from cancer, aged 85.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adelson, Merv 1929 births 2015 deaths Television producers from California American film studio executives American people of Russian-Jewish descent Businesspeople from Los Angeles Deaths from cancer in California American real estate businesspeople Adelson family 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople Jewish American television producers