In an interesting case of serendipity, a new buyer emerged looking for a property with a harbor large enough to house a proposed water taxi boat to serve the South Shore casinos being developed at the time. James Viso, an entrepreneur, and politician from Santa Clara made what had to be the second best deal of the century in buying Fleur du Lac from De Maria in Although De Maria realized a paper profit on the deal, the price paid by Viso was still less than one-third of the estimated cost to construct Fleur du Lac some 37 years earlier!
He again re-routed the stream that flowed through the property, restored the harbor and sea walls, repaired the damage done to the Harbor House and Boat House and resurrected the grounds. But, like De Maria before him, he was immediately faced with the burden of simply maintaining the estate since redevelopment just did not seem feasible at that point. In his quest for creative revenue sources, Viso came up with another option that added yet another fascinating chapter to Fleur du Lac history.
Although there is some disagreement between the De Maria and Viso families as to how the introduction occurred, Viso soon reached an agreement with Francis Ford Coppola to film the sequel to the immensely successful Godfather movie at Fleur du Lac. Except for certain movie props such as the stone wall surrounding the property, the gatehouse, and the bandstand at the edge of the lake, the movie presents an accurate view of both the exterior and interior at the time.
As important as the movie was to the identity and survival of Fleur du Lac, Viso soon realized that he must find a way to make the stalled development plans work, or be faced with being dragged down financially by the high maintenance costs. The next few years were a good case study of what was both wrong and right with the environmental restrictions of the time. Calling in favors from political friends, Viso almost managed to arrange to have Fleur du Lac acquired by the State of California as a State Park.
When that last attempt failed, Viso became desperate. He finally agreed to a settlement with the State of California for the redevelopment of the Fleur du Lac property. That agreement is what made possible the latest chapter in the history of Fleur du Lac. Babin - Luxury is Ladies' First Watches. Mar 27, By Julia Roxan. Kaiser desired a venue to celebrate the completion of his Hoover Dam project with family and friends in a locale he adored, Lake Tahoe, and where he could also keep his beloved boats.
Lavish parties took place with his contemporaries, who he would entertain in his personal yacht club with decadent meals followed by races across the lake in extravagant, V12 watercraft. This gated sanctuary has been impeccably restored, creating an exclusive, world-class resort community comprised of just 22 luxurious, private residences.
Surrounding, protecting, and offering privacy to the residences, is a native stone wall. The estate is complete with access to the historic yacht club and boathouse, as well as private boat slips for vessels up to 30 feet long. Kaiser loved Lake Tahoe and his boats. In Kaiser had a crew of men build this famous estate on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Known for getting things done that were considered impossible, Kaiser had a crew of working in eight hour shifts, 24 hours a day, building on the 15 acre piece of property.
The estate was completed in 30 days in order to be the party venue for the grand opening of the Hoover Damn, another one of his projects. The property originally consisted of 17 homes, 5 of which were owned by the men who had worked together to build the Hoover Damn. The orginal boathouse was a yacht house and Kaiser is famous for his love of wood boats especially hydroplanes.
He was partners with Howard Hughes in the Spruce Goose, another project that was considered 'impossible". The When you enter the foyer, you are in the room for entertainment.
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