John E. Connelly
Encyclopedia
John Edward Connelly founded the Gateway Clipper Fleet
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, pioneered riverboat casino
gambling along the Mississippi River
via his President Casinos
empire, and founded a fleet of ships operating out of Chelsea Piers
in New York City.
. In the 1940s he was a Congressional assistant for Congressman Harry J. Davenport
.
which was cleaning up Pittsburgh rivers he came up with concept of starting excursion boats to show that the rivers around Pittsburgh had been cleaned up. In 1958 he started the Gateway Clipper Fleet
.
He acquired the Sheraton Hotel at Station Square in 1981.
In 1971 he was the Democratic nominee in a race to replace Representative Robert J. Corbett
who had died in office. He lost to H. John Heinz III
.
and was instrumental in its redevelopment. He expanded the fleet to three boats. In 1988 World Yacht was purchased by Circle Line for $35 Million.
-- the SS Admiral in St. Louis, Missouri
from Streckfus Steamers. He sold it to investors in 1982. He began managing it again in 1988 and reacquired it in 1990.
He also acquired the excursion boats Huck Finn and Becky Thacher as well as the Robert E. Lee floating restaurant. All of the boats formed a steamship row docked at the foot of the Gateway Arch
.
which was on the National Register of Historic Places
in Davenport, Iowa
. He also acquired the Blackhawk Hotel
in downtown Davenport which is also on the National Register.
Iowa was the first state to legalize riverboat gambling in modern times and the President became one of the first casinos to open.
In 1992 he acquired the President Casino Broadwater Resort
in Biloxi, Mississippi
. It was the second casino on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi.
In 1992 he formed President Casinos
In 1993 he converted the Admiral in St. Louis to be one of the first casinos in Missouri after that state legalized gambling.
As a pioneer in gambling in three states, stock soared. He held one third of the company stock and he was worth $107 million. His total net worth of $370 million had him on the Forbes
list of richest Americans. He entered the bidding to bring an expansion team to St. Louis after the St. Louis football Cardinals
left the city.
However the stock soon plummeted as Illinois legalized riverboat gambling and more casino competition arose. Further complicating matters the Great Flood of 1993
forced the lengthy closure of the casinos. By 1996 his share of stock was valued at $14.7 million. He cut the pledge to $7 million and received a contract to exclusively sell reproductions of Vatican art in the United States. However the deal was eventually halted after he could not market the art beyond Pittsburgh.
His Mississippi efforts were challenged by Jack E. Pratt of the Pratt Hotel Corporation which said it had the rights to develop the Broadwater Resort. Although the case was dismissed Connelly paid out $1 million. He sold the Iowa casino after Illinois legalized gambling on its side of the river.
In 1993 it entered into an agreement with the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Tribe to develop a landbased casino in the Catskill Mountains
in New York. It would lose $4.1 million on the project which was never built.
It entered into a planned casino in Gary, Indiana
which fell through. It lost $11 million when a proposed casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
fell through. In 1995 it closed its money losing casino in Tunica, Mississippi
. The company pitched a casino plying the waters of New York City which never materialized.
The company ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 and has now divested itself of all its gambling operations.
, a hotel at the Vatican
where cardinals and other dignitaries would stay on visits to the Vatican (and where they stay during elections of Popes). When he made the pledge his shares of President Casinos were worth $107 million but by 1996 his share of stock was valued at $14.7 million. He cut the pledge to $7 million and received a contract to exclusively sell reproductions of Vatican art in the United States. However the deal was eventually halted after he could not market the art beyond Pittsburgh.
His donations to Saint Louis University
resulted in the school renaming the main dividing street for the campus from "West Pine Mall Boulevard" to "John E. Connelly Mall".
Gateway Clipper Fleet
The Gateway Clipper Fleet founded by John E. Connelly is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based fleet of riverboats. The fleet cruises the three rivers of Pittsburgh- the Monongahela, the Allegheny, and the Ohio. The fleet is named after the city of Pittsburgh, which in earlier times was known as the...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, pioneered riverboat casino
Riverboat casino
A riverboat casino is a type of casino found in several areas of the United States which use a riverboat as a casino. Several states authorized this type of casino to limit the areas where casinos could be constructed under a type of legal fiction.-History:...
gambling along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
via his President Casinos
President Casinos
President Casinos is a gaming company and casino operator based in St. Louis, Missouri that was active in the 1990s. In the 2000s it went into bankruptcy and is liquidating by the end of the decade.-History:...
empire, and founded a fleet of ships operating out of Chelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers is a series of piers on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City that was a passenger ship terminal in the early 1900s that was used by the RMS Lusitania and was the destination of the RMS Titanic....
in New York City.
Early life
Connelly was born in Pennsylvania. His parents died when he was 16. He was a coal miner and edited a newspaper at Sharpsburg, PennsylvaniaSharpsburg, Pennsylvania
Sharpsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh, along the Allegheny River. In the past, it had a rolling mill, foundries, machine shops, and manufacturers of varnish, brick, glass, lumber products, wire, hair, felt, and lubricating oil. In 1900, 6,842 people...
. In the 1940s he was a Congressional assistant for Congressman Harry J. Davenport
Harry J. Davenport
Harry James Davenport was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
.
Incentive marketing
In the early 1950s he founded J. Edward Connelly in Pittsburgh which incentive marketing which pioneered the concept of giving away products at banks and super markets in order to attract business. He was called the father of the practice and was called to testify before Congress after merchants complained it was an unfair practice.Gateway Clipper
While being treasurer of the Allegheny County Sanitary AuthorityAllegheny County Sanitary Authority
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is a Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that provides wastewater treatment services to 83 communities, including the city of Pittsburgh. Its principal sewage treatment plant is along the Ohio River downstream from Pittsburgh...
which was cleaning up Pittsburgh rivers he came up with concept of starting excursion boats to show that the rivers around Pittsburgh had been cleaned up. In 1958 he started the Gateway Clipper Fleet
Gateway Clipper Fleet
The Gateway Clipper Fleet founded by John E. Connelly is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based fleet of riverboats. The fleet cruises the three rivers of Pittsburgh- the Monongahela, the Allegheny, and the Ohio. The fleet is named after the city of Pittsburgh, which in earlier times was known as the...
.
He acquired the Sheraton Hotel at Station Square in 1981.
In 1971 he was the Democratic nominee in a race to replace Representative Robert J. Corbett
Robert J. Corbett
Robert James Corbett was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
who had died in office. He lost to H. John Heinz III
H. John Heinz III
Henry John Heinz III was an American politician from Pennsylvania, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate .-Early life:...
.
Chelsea Piers in New York City
In 1983 Connelly acquired control of World Yacht, a dinner cruise company in New York City founded by Neil Heap and Peter Simonetta in 1969. Connelly got access to three berths in the Chelsea PiersChelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers is a series of piers on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City that was a passenger ship terminal in the early 1900s that was used by the RMS Lusitania and was the destination of the RMS Titanic....
and was instrumental in its redevelopment. He expanded the fleet to three boats. In 1988 World Yacht was purchased by Circle Line for $35 Million.
St. Louis, Missouri
In 1981 he acquired the largest excursion ship plying the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
-- the SS Admiral in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
from Streckfus Steamers. He sold it to investors in 1982. He began managing it again in 1988 and reacquired it in 1990.
He also acquired the excursion boats Huck Finn and Becky Thacher as well as the Robert E. Lee floating restaurant. All of the boats formed a steamship row docked at the foot of the Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...
.
President Casinos
In 1990 he acquired the President (steamboat)President (steamboat)
President was a steamboat that currently lies dismantled in St. Elmo, Illinois. Originally named Cincinnati, it was built in 1924, and is the only remaining "Western Rivers" style sidewheel river excursion steamboat in the United States...
which was on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
. He also acquired the Blackhawk Hotel
Blackhawk Hotel
The Blackhawk Hotel is an eleven-story brick and terra cotta building located in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, United States. It has returned to its original name Hotel Blackhawk. The hotel is located next to the north building of the RiverCenter, Davenport's convention center, and across the street...
in downtown Davenport which is also on the National Register.
Iowa was the first state to legalize riverboat gambling in modern times and the President became one of the first casinos to open.
In 1992 he acquired the President Casino Broadwater Resort
President Casino Broadwater Resort
The President Casino Broadwater Resort was a combined casino and resort that was located in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was a fixture on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for over 60 years....
in Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
. It was the second casino on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi.
In 1992 he formed President Casinos
President Casinos
President Casinos is a gaming company and casino operator based in St. Louis, Missouri that was active in the 1990s. In the 2000s it went into bankruptcy and is liquidating by the end of the decade.-History:...
In 1993 he converted the Admiral in St. Louis to be one of the first casinos in Missouri after that state legalized gambling.
As a pioneer in gambling in three states, stock soared. He held one third of the company stock and he was worth $107 million. His total net worth of $370 million had him on the Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
list of richest Americans. He entered the bidding to bring an expansion team to St. Louis after the St. Louis football Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
left the city.
However the stock soon plummeted as Illinois legalized riverboat gambling and more casino competition arose. Further complicating matters the Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
forced the lengthy closure of the casinos. By 1996 his share of stock was valued at $14.7 million. He cut the pledge to $7 million and received a contract to exclusively sell reproductions of Vatican art in the United States. However the deal was eventually halted after he could not market the art beyond Pittsburgh.
His Mississippi efforts were challenged by Jack E. Pratt of the Pratt Hotel Corporation which said it had the rights to develop the Broadwater Resort. Although the case was dismissed Connelly paid out $1 million. He sold the Iowa casino after Illinois legalized gambling on its side of the river.
In 1993 it entered into an agreement with the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Tribe to develop a landbased casino in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
in New York. It would lose $4.1 million on the project which was never built.
It entered into a planned casino in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
which fell through. It lost $11 million when a proposed casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
fell through. In 1995 it closed its money losing casino in Tunica, Mississippi
Tunica, Mississippi
Tunica is a town in Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, located near the Mississippi River. Until the early 1990s the town was one of the most impoverished places in the United States, semi-famous for the particularly deprived neighbourhood known as "Sugar Ditch Alley", named for the open...
. The company pitched a casino plying the waters of New York City which never materialized.
The company ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002 and has now divested itself of all its gambling operations.
Competency hearing
In 2006 he was the subject of a family battle with his adoptive daughter Audree Wirginis to wrest control of the company on the basis competence. He was ultimately removed as chairman of his companies.Philanthropies
In the early 1990s he pledged $13 million of the $20 million required to build the Domus Sanctae MarthaeDomus Sanctae Marthae
The Domus Sanctæ Marthæ is a building completed in 1996 adjacent to Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City built during the reign of Pope John Paul II...
, a hotel at the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
where cardinals and other dignitaries would stay on visits to the Vatican (and where they stay during elections of Popes). When he made the pledge his shares of President Casinos were worth $107 million but by 1996 his share of stock was valued at $14.7 million. He cut the pledge to $7 million and received a contract to exclusively sell reproductions of Vatican art in the United States. However the deal was eventually halted after he could not market the art beyond Pittsburgh.
His donations to Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
resulted in the school renaming the main dividing street for the campus from "West Pine Mall Boulevard" to "John E. Connelly Mall".