*For years, Pfefer lived at the Picadilly Hotel in New York City at 227 West 45th Street.




On November 28, 1932, Pfefer wrote a letter to James Roe of the Bond Department at
Ellis Island, explaining that his "little girlfriend," Gloria Ivanova was going to Italy to study
music.  Ivanova was a "famous Russian opera singer," who he'd known for 12 years.  
Later in the year, in a separate letter, Pfefer thanked Roe for his help.



Boston maestro Paul Bowser wrote to Pfefer on May 15, 1933, asking to borrow $5,000,
which he'd pay off over a year's time with six percent interest.  He was using the money to
pay off "everything on the place," and the place - at this time - is not currently known.  
This is particularly interesting because Bowser and Curley, two of the masterminds
behind the "Trust," which controlled professional wrestling and was formed by the most
powerful men in the industry later that year (November 1933), were friends to a certain
degree with Pfefer.  They did business with him, relied on him for talent and money, as
demonstrated in this situation, but did not include him in the "Trust" when it was formed.  
This turned Pfefer vengeful against Bowser and Curley.  It makes you wonder how the
business would have been different had they just included him in the deal.  The Dan
Parker kayfabe-breaking articles in 1934 may never have seen the light of day, for one.




The Dallas Morning News, in promoting an upcoming show at the Sportatorium, wrote
about Pfefer on September 12, 1943.  The paper stated that The Swedish Angel boasted
"one of the world's most famous promoters as a manager" in Pfefer.  Pfefer was "the
colorful little man impresario who accompanies his 245-pound importation on tour." The
article reported that Pfefer "is known as the original importer of foreign mat talent." He
was originally a musician, having first come to the United States with an opera company.  
After seeing his first wrestling match, he decided that it was the "business for him."  
Among the wrestlers he brought to the U.S. were Garkawinko, Sandor Szabo, Podebeg,
"and many others." Pfefer, incidentally - and not surprisingly, claimed the Angel was his
"greatest importation," according to the article.



Sam Muchnick wrote a letter to Eddie Quinn on January 27, 1953, telling him that he'd
received a call from Pfefer "last night from Boston, and told me that he had received
threatening telephone calls.  He suspects you and Paul Bowser.  He told me if those
phone calls, or threats, are not stopped, that he would go to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and tell them that those threats are Alliance influenced."





In May 1955, Pfefer called Stanley Disney, investigator for the Department of Justice, and
Disney made the following notes in his office memo to his superior, James M. McGrath:  
Pfefer "seemed somewhat eager to dodge me." He was "full of offers to help; full of bull
about himself and not being afraid; and also full of evasions."

Pfefer said that the NWA had not given him any trouble and that he'd been involved with
wrestling too long for them to try anything against him.  He used "anyone who came along
hunting for a job."

A month later, Disney added to his impression of Pfefer when he interviewed R.G.
McElyea, the promoter in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Northside Coliseum.  Disney, in his
interview summary for his boss, wrote that he interviewed "I.G. McElyea."

McElyea talked about the wrestling war between Ed McLemore and Morris Sigel, and said
that Pfefer had come into Dallas to help McLemore with talent.  According to the report,
"McElyea said that Pfeffer was one of the loudest, vulgarest, and most objectionable men
he had ever met.  He said that McLemore and Pfeffer came into his office, and Pfeffer
immediately said that he, McElyea, would have to get rid of certain wrestlers he then had
working for him and that Pfeffer would take care of supplying the talent.  He said that
Pfeffer, in effect, told him, McElyea, to stay out of the dressing room; that he, Pfeffer,
would run matters there while McElyea took care of selling tickets.  McElyea said that this
made him so mad that he decided to pull out right then."






In August-September 1963, Pfefer was staying at the Chateau Hotel at 3838 Broadway in
Chicago, and working with Fred Kohler.  There was some talk of their group obtaining a
TV studio wrestling program in an attempt to rebuild the city.








Pfefer Offices:

1475 Broadway, New York City (1932) (Jack Curley's office)
Times Building, 42nd & Broadway, New York City (1938, 1941)
1476 Broadway (Room 416) (1942)
Longacre Building (1941)
Hotel Multnomah, Portland (June 1946)
New Kenmark Hotel, Denver (September 1946)
Secord Hotel, Toledo (1950)
Hotel New Orleans (1961)
Picadelly Hotel, 227 West 45th Street, New York City (1962)
3838 Broadway at Sheridan Road, Chicago (May 1963)
Hotel Kansas Citian, Kansas City (June 1963)
Hotel Bostonian, Boston (November 1964)



Research by Tim Hornbaker
Jack Pfefer Wrestling History
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