Shelly Saltman
Encyclopedia
Sheldon “Shelly” Arthur Saltman (born August 17, 1931 in Boston
, Massachusetts
) is a promoter of major sports and entertainment events including the worldwide promotion of the Muhammad Ali
/ Joe Frazier
heavyweight championship boxing matches, creating the Andy Williams
San Diego Golf Classic, helping to arrange the independent NFL Players Association games during the 1982 NFL season
Strike, and bringing cellular phone technology to the former Soviet Union
. But in the eyes of the general public he is perhaps best known as the man that Evel Knievel
tried to beat to death with a baseball bat.
Shelly has created, written, and produced shows for television such as Pro-Fan, Challenge of the NFL Cheerleaders (an early “reality” show), and the movie Ring of Passion about the fights between American boxer Joe Louis
and German champion Max Schmeling
in the years leading up to World War II
. Shelly is also the author of various books including EVEL KNIEVEL ON TOUR by Sheldon Saltman with Maury Green (1977 / Dell Publishing) and FEAR NO EVEL: An Insider’s Look At Hollywood as told to Thomas Lyons by Shelly Saltman (January 2007 / We Publish Books).
years as the child of Russia
n and Ukrainian
Orthodox Jewish parents in Cambridge
, Massachusetts
. His father Nate Saltman was very involved in Boston area politics and Shelly’s godfather, his father's best friend, was Thomas P. Tip O'Neill
, who went on the become the famous and influential Speaker of the House in the United States House of Representatives
. The visitors to the homes of Shelly’s parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles included Massachusetts Governor James Michael Curley
, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
, Madame Chiang Kai-shek of China
, and Éamon de Valera
, the first Prime Minister of Ireland
.
(today, the Washington Redskins
), his Uncle Eddie pitched for the Boston Braves baseball team (today, the Atlanta Braves
), and his Uncle Miltie played for the Philadelphia Athletics (today, the Oakland Athletics
). Shelly spent much of his childhood playing sports, attending Boston Red Sox
and Boston Braves
baseball games, and even attempted to play professional basketball. He would go to be a professional sportscaster and play-by-play announcer under the name of “Art Sheldon” with a career that included stints as a basketball coach, a baseball umpire, and a boxing ring announcer. Shelly is also among the founders of several professional and amateur sports organizations including the Phoenix Suns
and the New Orleans Jazz
basketball teams and was the first President of Fox Sports.
Shelly also handled the worldwide promotion of the Muhammad Ali
/ Joe Frazier
boxing championships, was co-creator of the 1970s “Challenge of the Sexes” TV shows, a key promoter and business partner in the failed Snake River Canyon
rocket-cycle jump by motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel
, and for a time managed the careers of such sports stars as Canadian NHL hockey player Wayne Gretzky
and American boxing champion Thomas Hearns
.
as a sports announcer and radio broadcaster for the Far East Network
of the U.S. Army during the Korean War
, Shelly came home to the U.S. and began a career working for the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
. He went on work as an executive for WBZ-TV
in Boston
and WJW-TV in Cleveland, making his mark as a promoter by doing such things as holding a press conference in a submarine underneath Boston Harbor for the TV show The Silent Service, picking up the press in helicopters to promote the show Whirlybirds, and broadcasting the world’s first “live birth” on television from a hospital in Cleveland, an act which brought him national attention.
From Cleveland he moved on to a position as a Vice President for MCA
in New York
, working for what was then the largest and most influential talent agency in America. While there, he promoted such shows as the network music/dance hit The Lloyd Thaxton Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, and created a sensation by promoting “cheapskate” comedian Jack Benny
’s comeback by hosting a press conference in a coin-operated Automat
lunch cafeteria. He also worked promotions for the syndication of Leave It To Beaver, Mr. Ed, and in his early years organized major charity fundraisers to raise money for blindness
, public polio vaccine programs, and cancer
research.
Shelly left MCA and New York after several years, accepting an offer from the Los Angeles
talent agency of Bernard, Williams, and Price to focus his talents on promoting the international career of singing and recording star Andy Williams
(. While in Los Angeles, Shelly worked as a public relations consultant, promoter, and/or manager for numerous performers including actor Jack Albertson
, Wilt Chamberlain
, and Roger Miller
, and worked as the first national publicist for The Osmonds
.
, Mexico
, England
, Japan
, the Philippines, Jamaica
, the Bahamas
, Russia
, Bulgaria
, Panama
, Chile
, Guatemala
, Belize
, Venezuela
, and Zaire
. He has represented significant innovations in modern technology, participated in the development of the world’s first plastic credit cards (the original credit cards were made of metal and cardboard), brought the first American-style infomercials to Japanese television, and helped to spread cellular phone technology to much of the third world, during which time he dined with Kings, Presidents, Military Dictators, and even got in a few games of tennis with Russian President Boris Yeltsin
.
to invest the money necessary to fund and promote the now famous Snake River Canyon rocket-cycle jump by motorcycle stuntman Robert “Evel” Knievel. Shelly’s company agreed – on the condition that Shelly would head up the media promotion for Knievel’s unusual stunt. Arum and Knievel agreed to Saltman’s participation and the promotion went forward.
During the months of promotion, Saltman carried a cassette tape recorder with him in order to record the elements of the promotion for an upcoming book. Knievel, Arum, and many others involved in the promotion were daily featured on the recordings and Saltman claimed they were aware of his intention to write about his experience.
Three years later in late 1977, Dell Publishing released Saltman’s book under the title Evel Knievel on Tour, which included information about Knievel, information that Knievel claimed damaged his image and was misleading to the public. Knievel was outraged because he claimed the book misled the public about not only himself, but his family as well. A few weeks after the release of "On Tour," Knievel went onto the lot of 20th Century Fox
Studios, where Shelly Saltman was a Vice President, with two of his friends and attacked Saltman with a baseball bat. Shelly's arm was fractured as a result of the attack. Shelly was caught completely off guard and he had no idea Knievel would seek vengeance.
When the news of Knievel's assault on Saltman was broadcast on national television, Saltman’s elderly mother had a heart attack . She died three months later. Knievel received a sentence of six months in work furlough for his assault on Saltman. A civil lawsuit was then filed; the civil court judge called Knievel’s acts “cowardly” and awarded Saltman $12.75 million in damages. Knievel declared himself to be bankrupt and none of the civil award was paid.
In 2007, Saltman released a second book entitled Fear No Evel: An Insider's Look at Hollywood in which he told his side of the Knievel attack, as well as his involvement in American sports and media.
After Knievel's death in late 2007, Saltman announced he would be suing the estate for the unpaid award from the civil suit, which he claims now amounts to over $100 million US dollars with interest. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7126501.stm
.
Campus. Shelly Saltman with his friend entertainment giant David Salzman of David Salzman Entertainment helped to put together the Tour of California, a 700-mile bike race through scenic California. Shelly and David both sit on the Board of the race. Cycling enthusiast Dan Medford and public relations expert Stuart Rowlands have also been instrumental, along with others, in developing the race concept and making it a reality. The race is a new annual event that Sports Travel Magazine hailed as the most exciting new event of 2006! The winner of the first Amgen Tour of California
was Floyd Landis
, who also went on to win the Tour de France
in 2006.
Shelly’s volunteer efforts have included positions on the Boards of Directors for:
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) is a promoter of major sports and entertainment events including the worldwide promotion of the Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
/ Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
heavyweight championship boxing matches, creating the Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
San Diego Golf Classic, helping to arrange the independent NFL Players Association games during the 1982 NFL season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
Strike, and bringing cellular phone technology to the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. But in the eyes of the general public he is perhaps best known as the man that Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
tried to beat to death with a baseball bat.
Shelly has created, written, and produced shows for television such as Pro-Fan, Challenge of the NFL Cheerleaders (an early “reality” show), and the movie Ring of Passion about the fights between American boxer Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
and German champion Max Schmeling
Max Schmeling
Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations...
in the years leading up to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Shelly is also the author of various books including EVEL KNIEVEL ON TOUR by Sheldon Saltman with Maury Green (1977 / Dell Publishing) and FEAR NO EVEL: An Insider’s Look At Hollywood as told to Thomas Lyons by Shelly Saltman (January 2007 / We Publish Books).
Early years
Shelly Saltman grew up during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years as the child of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n and Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
Orthodox Jewish parents in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. His father Nate Saltman was very involved in Boston area politics and Shelly’s godfather, his father's best friend, was Thomas P. Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. was an American politician. O'Neill was an outspoken liberal Democrat and influential member of the U.S. Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for 34 years and representing two congressional districts in Massachusetts...
, who went on the become the famous and influential Speaker of the House in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. The visitors to the homes of Shelly’s parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles included Massachusetts Governor James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley was an American politician famous for his four terms as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He also served twice in the United States House of Representatives and one term as 53rd Governor of Massachusetts.-Early life:Curley's father, Michael Curley, left Oughterard, County...
, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis
Louis Brandeis
Louis Dembitz Brandeis ; November 13, 1856 – October 5, 1941) was an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1916 to 1939.He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Jewish immigrant parents who raised him in a secular mode...
, Madame Chiang Kai-shek of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, the first Prime Minister of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Sports
Shelly’s first love was always sports. His father and his Uncle Louie both played football for the Boston BravesBoston Braves
Boston Braves may refer to any of the following American professional sports teams:*Boston Braves , the Major League Baseball team now known as the Atlanta Braves...
(today, the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
), his Uncle Eddie pitched for the Boston Braves baseball team (today, the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
), and his Uncle Miltie played for the Philadelphia Athletics (today, the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
). Shelly spent much of his childhood playing sports, attending Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
baseball games, and even attempted to play professional basketball. He would go to be a professional sportscaster and play-by-play announcer under the name of “Art Sheldon” with a career that included stints as a basketball coach, a baseball umpire, and a boxing ring announcer. Shelly is also among the founders of several professional and amateur sports organizations including the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
and the New Orleans Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
basketball teams and was the first President of Fox Sports.
Shelly also handled the worldwide promotion of the Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
/ Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
boxing championships, was co-creator of the 1970s “Challenge of the Sexes” TV shows, a key promoter and business partner in the failed Snake River Canyon
Snake River Canyon
Snake River Canyon may refer to the following geographical areas on the Snake River in the western United States:*Snake River Canyon , near Twin Falls*Snake River Canyon , near Jackson...
rocket-cycle jump by motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
, and for a time managed the careers of such sports stars as Canadian NHL hockey player Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and American boxing champion Thomas Hearns
Thomas Hearns
Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
.
Entertainment
After serving in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as a sports announcer and radio broadcaster for the Far East Network
Far East Network
The Far East Network was a network of American military radio and television stations, primarily serving U.S Forces in Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, and U.S...
of the U.S. Army during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Shelly came home to the U.S. and began a career working for the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports was an American network radio program and later television program that included broadcasts of a variety of sports, although it is primarily remembered by many for its focus on boxing.-Overview and background:...
. He went on work as an executive for WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and WJW-TV in Cleveland, making his mark as a promoter by doing such things as holding a press conference in a submarine underneath Boston Harbor for the TV show The Silent Service, picking up the press in helicopters to promote the show Whirlybirds, and broadcasting the world’s first “live birth” on television from a hospital in Cleveland, an act which brought him national attention.
From Cleveland he moved on to a position as a Vice President for MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, working for what was then the largest and most influential talent agency in America. While there, he promoted such shows as the network music/dance hit The Lloyd Thaxton Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, and created a sensation by promoting “cheapskate” comedian Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
’s comeback by hosting a press conference in a coin-operated Automat
Automat
An automat is a fast food restaurant where simple foods and drink are served by coin-operated and bill-operated vending machines.-Concept:Originally, the machines took only nickels...
lunch cafeteria. He also worked promotions for the syndication of Leave It To Beaver, Mr. Ed, and in his early years organized major charity fundraisers to raise money for blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
, public polio vaccine programs, and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
research.
Shelly left MCA and New York after several years, accepting an offer from the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
talent agency of Bernard, Williams, and Price to focus his talents on promoting the international career of singing and recording star Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
(. While in Los Angeles, Shelly worked as a public relations consultant, promoter, and/or manager for numerous performers including actor Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson was an American character actor dating to vaudeville. A comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, Albertson is perhaps best known for his roles as Manny Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure , Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Amos Slade in the 1981 animated film The Fox...
, Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, and Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
, and worked as the first national publicist for The Osmonds
The Osmonds
The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers...
.
International business
An a business entrepreneur, Shelly Saltman has worked in 52 countries around the world including the U.S., CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Philippines, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. He has represented significant innovations in modern technology, participated in the development of the world’s first plastic credit cards (the original credit cards were made of metal and cardboard), brought the first American-style infomercials to Japanese television, and helped to spread cellular phone technology to much of the third world, during which time he dined with Kings, Presidents, Military Dictators, and even got in a few games of tennis with Russian President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
.
Knievel attack
In the mid 1970s, Saltman was one of the principals in a company called Invest West Sports. His company was contacted by boxing and sports promoter Bob ArumBob Arum
Robert "Bob" Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, a professional boxing promotion company based in Las Vegas. He also worked for the US Attorney's Office for the southern district of New York in the tax division....
to invest the money necessary to fund and promote the now famous Snake River Canyon rocket-cycle jump by motorcycle stuntman Robert “Evel” Knievel. Shelly’s company agreed – on the condition that Shelly would head up the media promotion for Knievel’s unusual stunt. Arum and Knievel agreed to Saltman’s participation and the promotion went forward.
During the months of promotion, Saltman carried a cassette tape recorder with him in order to record the elements of the promotion for an upcoming book. Knievel, Arum, and many others involved in the promotion were daily featured on the recordings and Saltman claimed they were aware of his intention to write about his experience.
Three years later in late 1977, Dell Publishing released Saltman’s book under the title Evel Knievel on Tour, which included information about Knievel, information that Knievel claimed damaged his image and was misleading to the public. Knievel was outraged because he claimed the book misled the public about not only himself, but his family as well. A few weeks after the release of "On Tour," Knievel went onto the lot of 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
Studios, where Shelly Saltman was a Vice President, with two of his friends and attacked Saltman with a baseball bat. Shelly's arm was fractured as a result of the attack. Shelly was caught completely off guard and he had no idea Knievel would seek vengeance.
When the news of Knievel's assault on Saltman was broadcast on national television, Saltman’s elderly mother had a heart attack . She died three months later. Knievel received a sentence of six months in work furlough for his assault on Saltman. A civil lawsuit was then filed; the civil court judge called Knievel’s acts “cowardly” and awarded Saltman $12.75 million in damages. Knievel declared himself to be bankrupt and none of the civil award was paid.
In 2007, Saltman released a second book entitled Fear No Evel: An Insider's Look at Hollywood in which he told his side of the Knievel attack, as well as his involvement in American sports and media.
After Knievel's death in late 2007, Saltman announced he would be suing the estate for the unpaid award from the civil suit, which he claims now amounts to over $100 million US dollars with interest. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7126501.stm
Family
Shelly was married for almost 51 years to his wife Mollie (Heifetz) Saltman. They had two children, Steven (a successful media executive and entrepreneur) and Lisa (a successful artist and art consultant). Shelly has a younger brother and a sister (twins) Bobby and Barbara and another brother Jackie. Shelly also has four grandchildren – Sarah, Hannah, Sam, and Jilian. Shelly's wife Mollie died on July 1, 2007 after years of battling cancer and kidney disease. The family currently resides in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
Current projects
Shelly is currently involved in numerous business and charitable activities, including new business ventures in Japan, charitable work in Los Angeles, and lecturing on entrepreneurship at the University of California Riverside/Palm DesertUniversity of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
Campus. Shelly Saltman with his friend entertainment giant David Salzman of David Salzman Entertainment helped to put together the Tour of California, a 700-mile bike race through scenic California. Shelly and David both sit on the Board of the race. Cycling enthusiast Dan Medford and public relations expert Stuart Rowlands have also been instrumental, along with others, in developing the race concept and making it a reality. The race is a new annual event that Sports Travel Magazine hailed as the most exciting new event of 2006! The winner of the first Amgen Tour of California
Amgen Tour of California
The Tour of California is an annual professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour. It began on February 19, 2006. The eight-day race covers 650–700 miles through California...
was Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis is an American retired cyclist who after initially being awarded victory in the 2006 Tour de France was stripped of his title for a doping offense. He was an all-around rider, with special skills in climbing and time-trialing, and is also known to be a very fast descender.Landis...
, who also went on to win the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 2006.
Shelly’s volunteer efforts have included positions on the Boards of Directors for:
- International Volleyball Association
- President’s Council on Physical Fitness
- U.S. Olympic Committee Advisory Board
- John Mackey Youth Foundation
- Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation
- Santa Monica Police Activities League
- Vikki Carr Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- Children’s Asthma/Research Institute
- General Assembly International Sports Federations