SCHUMAN, Irwin

SCHUMAN, Irwin Samuel (c, 1904-1983), Russian immigrant who became a very successful nightclub owner and philanthropist. Schuman developed a chain of ‘supper clubs’ – one-stop destinations that offered multiple rooms of entertainment, food, live music and dancing — Chi Chi Clubs. Ultimately, there were seven locations throughout California, including Palm Springs, Catalina Island, Hollywood, Riverside, Belmont Shore in Long Beach, and San Diego.

In the News~

August 7, 1941 [TI/Avalon]: “In a recent letter from G. A. Wiseman of the Santa Catalina Island Company we have been advised that the Santa Catalina Island Company has taken over the operation of the Santa Catalina Isthmus as of July 21, 1941, and that Mr. Irwin Schuman and Desert Grill, Inc., have discontinued their operations at this location as of July 20, 1941. In order to properly affect the change, an escrow has been established at the Avalon Branch of the Security First National Bank under the Bulk Sales Law.”

February 19, 1983 [Centre Daily Times]: “Palm Springs, Calif.—Irwin Samuel Schuman, the reclusive, philanthropic founder of Palm Springs's Chi Chi Club, has died at age 79. Schuman brought such star entertainers at Nat "King" Cole, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Sophie Tucker, Wayne Newton, Liberace, the Smothers Brothers and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to the club he opened in 1936. Schuman died in his sleep Wednesday at his Thunderbird Country Club home in Rancho Mirage, 15 miles southeast of Palm Springs. The cause was cardiac arhythmia due to arterial sclerotic heart disease, said Riverside County Deputy Coroner Pat Choate. Schuman, owner of the Hilton Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, was an intensely private man known in Palm Springs as a philanthropist who gave millions of dollars to charity. He donated more money to charity than he had when he died,” said a nephew, Richard Schulman. His last major donation was in September, when he gave $1 million to finance construction of a hospice for terminally ill patients at Desert Hospital in Palm Springs. Schuman, who changed the spelling of his name from Schulman many years ago, was one of 10 children of a Russian immigrant family. He lived in the desert since 1922. Based on the success of the club in Palm Springs, Schuman opened other ChiChis in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Riverside, Long Beach, San Diego and on Santa Catalina Island. A memorial service was scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Weifels and Son Mortuary in Palm Springs. Schuman's ashes will be scattered over the desert, said a spokeswoman for the Neptune Society in Riverside. Schuman is survived by his wife of 30 years, Virginia, brothers Mark, Sam and Albert Schulman, and sisters Tess Kaplan and Ada Beckover, all of Los Angeles.”