- Warner LeRoy
Warner LeRoy (b.
March 3 ,1935 –d.February 22 2001 ), was a New Yorkbusinessman .LeRoy was the son of film producer-director
Mervyn LeRoy and Mervyn's second wife, Doris Warner, and was the grandson ofHarry Warner , one of the founders ofWarner Bros. and a major contributor to the development of the film industry.Warner founded LeRoy Adventures, which owned and operated the York Cinema, Maxwell's Plum, Great Adventure, Tavern On The Green and The Russian Tea Room.
Tavern on the Green , located inCentral Park , was one of the most popular restaurants inNew York City . In 1974, LeRoy took over the restaurant's lease and reopened it in 1976 after $10 million in renovations.In 1995, LeRoy purchased The
Russian Tea Room , and sunk $32 million into renovations. It closed in 2002, one year after LeRoy's death.Additional ventures included
Great Adventure , which was founded inJuly 1 1974 , as well as Potomac inWashington, D.C. , Maxwell's Plum in New York City, Maxwell's Plum inSan Francisco, California , and others.He was married to the former Kay O'Reilly (from the
UK ) until their divorce. Their daughter, Jennifer Oz LeRoy, inherited the management of LeRoy's properties, but the ownership was divided among all Warner's children -- Bridget (Warner's daughter with Gen LeRoy Walton) and his children with Kay LeRoy, Carolyn, Max and Jennifer.Warner's son Max was killed in a motorcycle accident in November 2005 at the age of 30.
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