Jerrold Wexler

Jerrold Wexler (June 27, 1924 – November 10, 1992) was a noted American businessman and film producer. He was the brother of cinematographer Haskell Wexler and the stepfather of actress Daryl Hannah. Early life and education Wexler was born to a Jewish family in Chicago, the son of Lottie and Simon Wexler, and attended Northwestern University. His father founded the Columbia Radio Corporation in 1921 and the Allied Radio Corporation in 1928. Allied Radio was an American radio manufacturer and retailer, which sold radio sets, tubes, capacitors, amateur radio equipment, citizen's band (CB) radios, and consumer audio systems through retail stores and beginning in 1962, also via mail-order. In 1970, Allied Radio was purchased by the Tandy Corporation, the parent company of Radio Shack. His brother was cinematographer, film producer, and director Haskell Wexler. Business ventures By his early 30s, he was building a reputation for financing monumental skyscrapers, including 400 East Randolph a luxury apartment building in Chicago's Loop. With his father's help, he brokered the construction of the Executive Plaza Hotel on Wacker Drive (now known as Hotel 71). In 1979 he, along with his business partner Edward W. Ross, purchased the Drake Hotel. The Drake was successfully nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 1983, Wexler's Jupiter Industries, which had interests in the Playboy Building, Lake Point Tower, Michigan Avenue real estate, dozens of Chicago hotels, and property holdings in both New York City and Los Angeles, saved Goldblatt's from bankruptcy. Jupiter also developed the Vista International Hotel at the World Trade Center, later known as the Marriott World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was known for pioneering new development areas; the Executive Plaza was the first hotel in Chicago in decades, and the Vista was the first hotel in downtown Manhattan for decades. He also built the Outer Drive East development in Chicago, which expanded the downtown into an industrial and shipping area in decline.