Otto H. Kahn
Born: Mannheim, Germany, February 21, 1867
Died: New York, New York, March 29, 1934
He named his dream castle: "OHEKA" after the initials of his full name
(O=Otto/ HE=Hermann/ KA=Kahn).
He was called "King of New York" in the 1920s and appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1925.
His musical son, Roger Wolfe Kahn, also appeared on the TIME cover in the 1920s.
Oheka Castle was completed in 1919. It originally had 127 rooms
and occupied 109,000 square feet of space,
making it the second largest
private residence in the United States (after the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina).
It was also the largest residence built in New York State and now the largest restored home in the USA.
A few quick shots of Oheka were included in the opening newsreel shown
in the classic Hollywood film, CITIZEN KANE.
Otto Kahn was also a big supporter of George Gershwin's music.
He attended the historic First Performance of Gershwin's first concert work,
"Rhapsody in Blue,"
at Aeolian Hall in New York in 1924. Kahn also helped finance some of Gershwin's Broadway shows,
including "Lady Be Good" in 1924.
Otto Kahn's highly favorable statement about George Gershwin is included in this music guide
published in a new edition in honor of the 100th anniversary of the premiere of
"Rhapsody in Blue"in 1924 --
Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra
Otto Kahn's son, Roger Wolfe Kahn (1907-1962), was a talented musician and played many different instruments.
In the 1920s he was a young band leader and a popular songwriter.
Among the famous Big Band musicians who played in his band were Tommy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Artie Shaw,
Jack Teagarden, Joe Venuti, and others.
One of the songs Roger Kahn co-wrote with Irving Caesar and Joseph Meyer was "Crazy Rhythm" - a big hit in 1928.