Gunfire at the Castle: Who Shot Oheka's Owner? And Why? - LI Press I think hes going to make it! he told the Press when he was reached. ", Rep. Pete King, a Republican and friend of Melius, said he had no idea who would want to harm Melius: "I just hope and pray that he's going to come back. Otto Hermann Kahn was a German Jewish immigrant who made his name as a financier and businessman after coming to the U.S. in 1893. 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. Now after years of restoration and the support of my family I am proud to say that OHEKA is once again a private home and a great place to throw a party just as Otto Kahn did back in the decadent days of the 1920s. Footage shows 2 cars approaching scene where Oheka Castle owner Gary Oheka Castle, which is also a hotel offering $1,095-a-night suites, says on its website that it can accommodate up to 1,000 wedding guests. It was Melius call to former Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale requesting Randy White, a Roosevelt resident, be charged with perjury in an election lawsuit that made headlines last Decemberresulting in Whites arrest and Dales resignation following a Nassau County District Attorney probe that ultimately cleared the developer, Dale and Mangano of criminality, but infuriated Nassau Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs for giving the Mangano administration a pass. February 24, 2015 / 7:08 PM CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW. Not bad for a guy whod bankrolled the entire losing campaign of Manganos supposed opponent, Freeport Mayor Andrew Hardwick, for $23,000. Christopher Twarowski is editor in chief of the Long Island Press and its chief of investigations. "Yeah, I asked him, I asked him very strong and there's nothing," Melius said. Oheka Castle owner Gary Melius (right) with his son, Thomas. David Winzelberg // January 15, 2019. The huge reward and a tip line were funded by friends of the Long Island power-broker who restored Oheka Castle as a catering venue. Thomas Melius is the biological son of Gary Melius' wife. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. Police were not aware of any prior threats on Melius' life, O'Sullivan said. Oheka Castle Owner Says Shooting That Wounded Him Remains Mystery One The whole thing is awful, Jacobs told the Press shortly after the shooting. Authorities on Thursday released surveillance video showing the man who shot the owner of Long Island's . 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. Pathway to power: Gary Melius' rise through Long Island's cozy political system. 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. Perhaps Fitzgerald might have described these nostalgic revelers with this fitting passage from Gatsby "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.". Police stand in front of Oheka Castle on Long Island after owner Gary Melius was shot on the premises Monday. Gary Melius shooting still shrouded in mystery 4 years later Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Oheka Castle is the United States' second largest private home, and a hot spot for celebrity weddings including Kevin Jonas, Hillary Clinton's aide Huma Abedin, and media personality Megyn Kelly . Was it related to politics, as one source with close ties to Melius who did not want his name used adamantly tells the Press? Gary Melius adopted him. "It was an attempt at assassination . "He said he had evidence of witness tampering and other crimes," the source said. Melius, a supporter of the third-party candidate, then contacted Dale seeking to have the young man investigated. "They have not one thing to physically connect him to this. One person of interest early on in the investigation was his son, Thomas Melius -- a young man with a troubled past. Then, read about the European fugitive who faked his own death and was found living in his lavish French castle.