James Barrier
Encyclopedia
James "Buffalo Jim" Barrier (March 22, 1953 – April 6, 2008), born in Buffalo, New York, was a local wrestling promoter in Las Vegas
. His legal struggle with business owner and landlord Frederick "Rick" Rizzolo, who owned the property under Barrier's business, Allstate Auto & Marine, was covered by the media during the early 2000s.
. He later opened his auto repair shop on Industrial Road, which he operated until his death. In the 1980s and '90s, he owned Buffalo Jim's Professional Wrestling School and had a local paid-for TV wrestling show, "Jim Wars," that aired on Friday nights. Also, he wrote a weekly column, "Nuts and Bolts with Buffalo Jim" on auto repair for the now-folded Las Vegas Mercury
.
Barrier over the years met many celebrities, including Hulk Hogan
and Muhammad Ali
. He also had a large collection of celebrity memorabilia, from vehicles to a lock of Elvis's
hair. Included in this collection were cars—a Jensen Interceptor
-- that used to belong to Wayne Newton
and a pink Cadillac
of Kid Rock
's used during the rocker's proposal to Pamela Anderson
.
gentlemen's club
, located next door to Buffalo Jim's repair shop. Rizzolo was court ordered to sell the nightclub to satisfy debts. When the business did not sell, the U.S. Marshals Service seized the bar in September 2007, forcing its eventual closure. Rizzolo was released in April 2008 after serving a year in a federal prison on a racketeering and tax evasion conviction in U.S. Federal court. Because of the government taking over the property, Barrier was forced to move. He was unable to secure a new location before he died.
In 2005, Barrier was voted "Las Vegas' Most Colorful Character" by the Las Vegas Review-Journal
, which described him as "a modern Renaissance man."
, Barrier was found in a small motel room on Boulder Highway, in an older section of town, lying face up with an empty bottle of valium in the room and his pants pulled down around his ankles. While friends and family have publicly said they believe Barrier was killed, no evidence has been uncovered to back up that premise. The cause of death was ruled accidental, citing dilated cardiomyopathy
as the cause of death. Also, Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy released details that cocaine found in his system was a contributing factor. A woman in the hotel with him that night told police that Barrier had had a seizure. A toxicology report revealed 20 mg/mL of GHB
in his system, which the coroner said did not contribute to Barrier's death.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. His legal struggle with business owner and landlord Frederick "Rick" Rizzolo, who owned the property under Barrier's business, Allstate Auto & Marine, was covered by the media during the early 2000s.
Career
Barrier moved to Las Vegas in 1971, at age 18, from Cleveland, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He later opened his auto repair shop on Industrial Road, which he operated until his death. In the 1980s and '90s, he owned Buffalo Jim's Professional Wrestling School and had a local paid-for TV wrestling show, "Jim Wars," that aired on Friday nights. Also, he wrote a weekly column, "Nuts and Bolts with Buffalo Jim" on auto repair for the now-folded Las Vegas Mercury
Las Vegas Mercury
Las Vegas Mercury was an alternative newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 2, 2003 to March 15, 2005. The paper folded when Stephens Media purchased Las Vegas CityLife and combined the two newspapers.- Columnists :* James Barrier...
.
Barrier over the years met many celebrities, including Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
. He also had a large collection of celebrity memorabilia, from vehicles to a lock of Elvis's
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
hair. Included in this collection were cars—a Jensen Interceptor
Jensen Interceptor
The Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT-class car hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for an earlier car made between 1950 and 1957...
-- that used to belong to Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
and a pink Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
of Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
's used during the rocker's proposal to Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
.
Legal dispute
Jim Barrier was known in Las Vegas, because of media coverage, for winning a lengthy court dispute about parking spaces with his neighbor and landlord, Rick Rizzolo, former owner of the Crazy Horse TooCrazy Horse Too
Crazy Horse Too was a strip club located at 2466 Industrial Road in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nevada on Industrial Road a few blocks west of the Las Vegas Strip. The club was patterned after the original Crazy Horse Saloon club on Paradise Road, which was owned by Jack Galardi .The club was owned by...
gentlemen's club
Gentlemen's club
A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for British upper class men in the eighteenth century, and popularised by English upper-middle class men and women in the late nineteenth century. Today, some are more open about the gender and social status of...
, located next door to Buffalo Jim's repair shop. Rizzolo was court ordered to sell the nightclub to satisfy debts. When the business did not sell, the U.S. Marshals Service seized the bar in September 2007, forcing its eventual closure. Rizzolo was released in April 2008 after serving a year in a federal prison on a racketeering and tax evasion conviction in U.S. Federal court. Because of the government taking over the property, Barrier was forced to move. He was unable to secure a new location before he died.
In 2005, Barrier was voted "Las Vegas' Most Colorful Character" by the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
, which described him as "a modern Renaissance man."
Death
Barrier's body was found on Sunday morning, April 6, 2008. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentLas Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is a joint city-county police force for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada. It is run by the Sheriff of Clark County, elected every four years. The current Sheriff of Clark County is Douglas C...
, Barrier was found in a small motel room on Boulder Highway, in an older section of town, lying face up with an empty bottle of valium in the room and his pants pulled down around his ankles. While friends and family have publicly said they believe Barrier was killed, no evidence has been uncovered to back up that premise. The cause of death was ruled accidental, citing dilated cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both. Cardiomyopathy can often go undetected, making it especially dangerous to...
as the cause of death. Also, Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy released details that cocaine found in his system was a contributing factor. A woman in the hotel with him that night told police that Barrier had had a seizure. A toxicology report revealed 20 mg/mL of GHB
Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid
γ-Hydroxybutyric acid , also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid and sodium oxybate when used for medicinal purposes, is a naturally occurring substance found in the central nervous system, wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and almost all animals in small amounts. It is also categorized as an illegal...
in his system, which the coroner said did not contribute to Barrier's death.