Sammie Shoen Starts U-Haul

A 29 year old huckster buys some trailers, parks them at gas stations, cons 'investors' to buy shares, and U-Haul is formed. Mr. Shoen, has five wives, thirteen hatchlings, and dies a mysterious death at 82.

He Headquarters In Las Vegas

Mr. Shoen formed the Amerco Enterpreneurial Institute Inc., which purchased the Chaparral casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Two of his backers turn out to be gangsters, and couldn't get a gaming license.
 

Family Feud Starts

In the early 1980's, in an effort to avoid taxes, the Jewish head gave his stock to his sons, who then tried to oust the old man. In 1987, eldest son Sam and L.S. Shoen were close to control.

 

Joe Shoen Wants Control

Joe, and Mark Shoen, want the father and brother out. The father wanted the company to diversify into the general rentals business while the sons insisted on focusing on its core moving business.
 

Eva Shoen Murdered Six Months Later

Finally, there was the murder of the old man's favorite daughter-in-law. In Montrose, Colorado, an ex-con named Frank Marquis admitted that he fatally shot Mrs. Eva Shoen, the wife of Sam Shoen, the oldest son, in Telluride, Colorado, in 1990.

But the body had needle marks where a traqulizer was injected and it points to a professional hit versus a botched burglary.  Most suspect a murder-for-hire scheme.There is a libel suit pending against the old man, who is charged with intimating that his sons Mark and Joe Shoen were responsible for the crime.

The Father Has An Accident

He was driving on a deserted stretch of road outside of Las Vegas, and hit the only tree in miles. The coroner ruled it a suicide.

A Public Company

Amerco, based in Reno, Nev., has a market capitalization of $1.5 billion. There is some conflict between Amerco and auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, which resulted in a $2.5 billion lawsuit.