"When I first bought the property, it looked like something from a horror movie," Melius said. The premise of the show was to give viewers an "all-access pass inside America's most enormous, opulent and advanced Mega Mansions. The owner of Oheka Castle, Gary Melius, told NBC 4 New York that his stepson Tommy has been "put through the ringer" by police for the last four months in connection with the Feb. 24 shooting. Gary Melius adopted him. He holds an M.S. It took another two months for the rails to be refinished to restore the grand staircase to its former glory. Gary Melius exited a side door of his palatial mansion estate and entered his Mercedes-Benz parked in its back courtyard. Police are still looking for the shooter. There is plenty to do during your visit to Long Island. He reportedly renegotiated its $27.9-million mortgage last August and had defaulted on the loan in 2012. The grounds also featured a beautiful grand lawn with a reflective pool and fountains interwoven into its design as well as an 18-hole golf course. "Are you any closer today, Gary, to knowing who did this to you?" Hed take a seat at the polished table, hang out and listen, and if the topic could include his pet politics, the Independence Party, hed be grateful and never preach. It's not clear how many people were in the Jeep. Oheka Castle is said to be the inspiration behind Scott F. Fitzgerald's 1925 book. All Rights Reserved. "It leaves me under a cloud that, 'Why did this guy get shot?'". Two years were spent building an artificial hill on which to place the home, giving it views of Cold Spring Hills and Cold Spring Harbor.[4]. Cops believe the black sedan was the lookout car, Newsday's sources said. They said they will have an investigator with intricate knowledge of the case handling the calls. Gary Melius, the owner of Oheka Castle in Long Island, was shot on Monday by a masked shooter. One person of interest early on in the investigation was his son, Thomas Melius -- a young man with a troubled past. The sprawling mansion estate-turned-luxury hotel and wedding hall Oheka Castle in Huntington was the scene of a botched hit Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, when its owner, Gary Melius, was shot in the. His daughter rushed him to Syosset Hospital. During World War II, Oheka Castle was converted into a radio operator's school for the Merchant Marines then occupied by the Eastern Military Academy. Suozzi still lost in November. In 1948, Eastern Military Academy purchased the castle and 23 acres (9.3ha) of its property, bulldozed the gardens and subdivided the rooms. LaHilden/TwitterRestoration efforts to restore Oheka Castle to its former glory and upgrade amenities cost $37 million over 20 years. Details of the tapestry and chandeliers that adorn the inside of the estate. Construction began in 1917 and was completed after two years. Oheka Castle owner recovering after murder attempt; Hunt for gunman continues By ABC13 Tuesday, February 25, 2014 HUNTINGTON, NY It happened on the mansion's lavish grounds in broad. Suffolk County Police officers surround the car belonging to Gary Melius, the owner of Oheka Castle, who brought to Syosset Hospital with a gunshot wound on Monday. The owner, who also lives there, was shot by an unknown assailant Monday. It is a popular wedding venue for socialites, celebrities, and dignitaries, as well as the backdrop to many photo shoots, television series and films. [3] He was determined to build a fireproof building, so he had his architects, Delano and Aldrich, design it in steel and concrete, making it one of the first totally fireproof residential buildings. Gary Melius, the owner of Oheka Castle in Huntington, N.Y., was shot Monday morning by a masked gunman. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Its original 443-acre plot has shrunk to 23 acres over the last century. The castle is now a hotel with 32 guest rooms and suites. Not one phone call, not anything," Gary Melius said, according to the paper. Four years ago, he's shot in the middle of the day, and its captured on video, and there's no arrest.. The shooting was captured on surveillance video, which has not been released. Visitors were greeted by a long driveway lined with manicured red cedar trees that led you into the property. Former President Bill Clinton officiated the nuptials. Think "haunted houses on Long Island" and the "Amityville Horror" house, where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six family members in 1974, is sure to be among the top ones that come to mind. Oheka Castle, built by the industrialist Otto Herman Kahn (l. 1867-1934), is one of the best-known luxury hotels of Long Island, NY, USA today. Police were not aware of any prior threats on Melius' life, O'Sullivan said. The mansion, built by Kahn between 1914 and 1919, is the largest private home in New York, and the second largest in the United States, comprising 127 rooms and over 109,000sqft (10,100m2), as originally configured. February 24, 2015 / 7:08 PM According to Newsday, Suffolk Deputy Chief Kevin Fallon said the sources' account cited by the paper was incorrect. John O'Sullivan said. Melius bought Oheka Castle in 1984 and soon began restoring it. Melius, a supporter of the third-party candidate, then contacted Dale seeking to have the young man investigated. (Veronique Louis for New York Daily News). It's been nearly four years since someone shot Oheka Castle owner Gary Melius in the face, and the assassination attempt is still . It was the country home of investment financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn and his family. The cold-blooded shooter aimed several times at the wounded Melius and pulled the trigger, according to Newsday's sources. ", Oheka Castle is one of Long Island's most exclusive hotels, located in Huntington, N.Y. The house was featured in a book by subsequent owners who claimed . Former President Bill Clinton presided over the wedding of then-Rep. Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin, a close aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in 2010. Otto Hermann Kahn used Oheka Castle as his family's summer home where they famously threw the most extravagant parties on the East Coast. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. The Suffolk County Police Department declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. John O'Sullivan said that it does not appear to be an accidental shooting, but that neither the shooter nor a motive has been identified. If this near- death experience has done anything it is a reminder to live each day, celebrate life and embrace your family. Orson Welles used its exterior to shoot some scenes there in 1940 for his American classic Citizen Kane. It is a nod to Kahn's hometown in Germany. All rights reserved. He renovated the building and grounds to the tune of $30 million. In December, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice, a Democrat, found no criminality in White's arrest. Natasha Ishak is a staff writer at All That's Interesting. Melius, 69, was struck down about 12:30 p.m. as he climbed into his Mercedes in the valet parking lot of the Huntington castle he calls home, Suffolk County police said. After Otto Hermann Kahn's death in 1934, Oheka Castle moved between multiple ownerships. The castle, built in 1919 by financier Otto Kahn, was used as a setting in the classic 1941 film "Citizen Kane.". "Somebody was watching over him. In the hallowed halls of this ornately refurbished mansion-turned-luxury hotel, catering and wedding hall, Melius would often be spotted without a tie and wearing blue jeans. Originally built for financier Otto Kahn in 1921, the 126-room Oheka is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hed make his case that the two major parties had failed the republic and then move on. Melius once was nearly $6 million in debt, according to the Daily News, and owed the Trump Taj Mahal some $100,000 in 1992. (Courtesy Paul Prince). Mevorach asked. To enter from the castles main entrance, visitors must follow a long winding road and pass through a gated driveway equipped with surveillance cameras. Its been nearly four years since someone shot Oheka Castle owner Gary Melius in the face, and the assassination attempt is still shrouded in mystery. A day after the attack, Melius posted a statement on Ohekas Facebook page, thanking those who have offered prayers and expressing his desire to return to the castle and to get back to work. [8] They were unable to sustain the property themselves, so Melius reacquired it under a long-term lease and later re-purchased the estate, operating it as a weddings and events venue, luxury hotel and conference center.[9]. It is supposedly the largest restoration in the U.S. to date. "I cooperated with the police in looking at him, whatever they wanted, but there's nothing.". It's especially popular as a wedding venue and a filming location for a number of movies and TV shows including the hit HBO series Succession. He sold it a few years later, then regained ownership in 2003. The power-broker castle owner is a politically connected developer who frequently hosts lavish luncheons, formal dinners, cigar-filled poker games and a variety of other galas at Oheka, the former opulent residence of financier Otto Kahn. An investigation by the Nassau County district attorney found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing but raised questions about the ethics of Dale's actions, leading to his resignation. Melius, who was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, has long been involved with the Democratic, Republican and Independence parties, contributing more than $800,000 total to the three parties since 1999, according to state records. Dive into this mega-mansion's history and find out what makes it so special. "They have not one thing to physically connect him to this. In its time as a private residence, it was the site of the kind of lavish parties which inspired the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby and continues to offer that same experience. "First place they look is my family so it was a tough thing to get used to," Melius said. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. What is The Best Japanese Restaurant on Long Island? "As best as we can determine, (Melius) was entering his vehicle," Suffolk Police Detective Sgt. While Melius was well known in the community and respected for his charitable donations, he was also involved in a local controversy last year, playing a role in the political scandal that led to the ouster of Nassau County's police commissioner at the time. [1] It is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Still, Oheka Castle remains an impressive sight. Chief investigative reporter Jonathan Dienst on crime, corruption and terrorism. What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. It is now a popular wedding venue. The owner of Oheka Castle, Gary Melius, was gunned down in his car, authorities said, by a suspect who may have been wearing a mask. A shooter tried to gun down Gary Melius, the powerful owner of Oheka Castlethe palatial hotel, restaurant, catering hall and frequent film set in Huntingtonbut Melius survived a gunshot wound to the head in broad daylight as he got into his car at the estate on Feb. 24. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Restorations of Oheka Castle have cost $37 million over the last 20 years. The Associated Press contributed to this report. But he declined to give them specific details, Newsday said. The Gatsby Suite, pictured here, is a nod to the hotel's alleged ties to, Kahn famously hosted extravagant parties at his summer estate. "I feel good we're going to catch him, and hopefully, he'll get what's coming to him," Melius said. Christopher Twarowski is editor in chief of the Long Island Press and its chief of investigations. The property was also the site of Kahn's daughter's wedding, which became the first of many wedding ceremonies hosted at Oheka Castle. OHEKA CASTLE | Reception Venues - The Knot Modern Minimalist by Vera Wang Beloved Floral - Red Elegant Glow - Blue Woodbury Wedding Venues OHEKA CASTLE 4.8 ( 32) 135 West Gate Drive, Serving NYC and LI, NY Call About This Vendor A Royal Estate of Affairs Was Typhoid Mary A Reckless Superspreader Or A Tragic Victim? "I cannot believe this; you are not safe anywhere," said Natasha Silne, a newlywed who was supposed to check into the hotel with her husband for their honeymoon. The construction of Oheka Castle began in 1917 and was completed two years later. Authorities on Thursday released surveillance video showing the man who shot the owner of Long Island's . Everyone from highly-esteemed diplomats to famous film stars attended the lavish events. The young man was arrested on an outstanding warrant while riding a county bus on Oct. 5. Melius boasts of friendships with King and Democratic Rep. Steve Israel. A lone masked shooter blasted through the car window and struck the 69-year-old in the head before speeding away, reportedly in a Jeep Cherokee.