High Roller

Anyone involved in Cleveland politics knows the same three things about local restaurant developer Tony George: He raises heaps of money for politicians. He launched the chain of once ubiquitous Slam Jams sports bars. And he's feuding with County Recorder Pat O'Malley, once his close friend.

What they think they know about George is this: His wife was a Baywatch actress. He's somehow related to former Congresswoman Mary Rose Oakar. And he was once arrested -- for something.

In the storied world of West Side politics, facts easily become muddled with fiction. What is certain is that this 43-year-old Arab American has become an important local and national political player. He will likely play a major fund-raising role in Ohio in the presidential race, which kicks into high gear this summer, and may host a fund-raiser for U.S. Senate candidate Hillary Clinton. Both parties are interested in tapping his skill at raising money; by his own accounting, the Fairview Park resident has raised more than $1.8 million for local, state, and national politicians. George considers many to be his friends, like former Congresswoman Oakar (also Arab American, but no relation), Brook Park Mayor Tom Coyne, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and President Bill Clinton.

He also has many enemies. Some are angry that he crosses party lines to support politicians he likes. Others disapprove of his aggressive business practices. Some in the Arab American community just don't like his politics. When asked about George, they gladly whisper about him, but refuse to be quoted, because they work with him or hope to work with him someday.

In broad strokes painted by his friends and enemies, George is loyal, demanding, combative, volatile, proud, shrewd, successful, politically and privately generous, and -- above all -- a family man.

Still, there are other, perhaps less-known aspects to George that speak to his political and personal motivations. He cut class at St. Edward High School to work second shift in a railyard to support his mother and five younger sisters. He speaks Arabic and jumps at the chance to discuss Middle East politics with national leaders. He once had breakfast with Yassir Arafat. He's a Teamster.

There are other things, too, that add to George's colorful image. The concrete under his living room floor once housed a safe, which he later fought for during a divorce. (He got the safe, but had to repair the floor.) He traded 1995 World Series tickets for a Baywatch cameo appearance for his second wife, Kristine.

George and Kristine sued a Westlake veterinarian for failing to remedy the health problems of their cat, Mr. Honey Brown. Before giving a deposition in the case that he filed, George -- who doesn't like to be questioned or told what to do -- told opposing counsel he would discuss only issues he deemed directly relevant to the litigation. During the short deposition, he proclaimed, "I wasted enough time on this cat. And for every minute of my time you waste, believe me, I'm going to waste hours of your time." (The suit was dismissed at the Georges' expense.)

While George enjoys the attention that comes with being a political bon vivant -- and having hosted the President at his house -- he avoids the media. It's a peculiar stance, considering his high-profile political and social activities. "I don't trust reporters," he offers as explanation.

Another explanation lies in the rumor that is so freely offered by his enemies -- that he's had trouble with the law. This rumor has taken on mythical and sometimes comical proportions, portraying George -- in his words -- as "a friggin' gangster."

While hardly that, Tony George is a convicted felon -- a label that haunts him politically and personally. He tried to soften the image in 1994, when he was building a name for himself in political circles. It was then that he sought a federal pardon. About the crime he committed when he was 19, he says, "I've regretted this every day since then."

Fighter and Family Man

Tony George works out of a modest brick building on West 117th Street that he shares with a chiropractor. This is headquarters for The George Group -- the company that oversees his business interests, which include managing properties he owns in the Flats and elsewhere, developing bars and restaurants, and running a small billboard company, among other ventures.

George's business is best known for the Slam Jams sports bars that he created and then licensed to others as a franchise, at one time totaling eight Northeast Ohio locations. He also created the Parma club Dance.com and is partial owner of Ferris Steak House at Gateway. He leases space to Bar Cleveland and other nightspots on Old River Road. Over the years, he's had a hand in creating or owning other popular restaurants and clubs, such as Tags and Splash.