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Generation 7 - 1841 ~ 1873
PATERFAMILIAS
Herman Henry Cyriacks
(1854c ~ 1925)

& Sophie Brems (185c ~ ???)

Cyriacks & Co., Bremen
Maƒchinen- und Motoren-Fabrik

Click to see the Tree for this Branch of
 the FamilyFamilyTree  


Fred's poses - casual & formal   The information regarding this, so far unconnected, Hollywood centered branch was found as a result of our search for missing Uncle Hermann (1861 ~ ???).  West Bend's Pete Ciriacks (1907 ~ 1973), one of the primary sponsors and motivators of our Family History Project, had clipped a 1927 newspaper article about a man named Fred Cyriacks having shot a Hollywood 'movie star' dog back then.  Decades later, Ben Ciriacks (1943 ~ ), one of the early researchers into our Family History, found a Los Angeles County records reference to Fred's death.  Ben had also visited and stood over the grave sites for Fred and his brother Herman H. in Forest Lawn cemetery.  During that same 1973 USA-wide bus trip, Ben also found some legal documents related to the dog shooting and others regarding an "alleged" lemon sold by Fred's auto dealership around 1920 - both of which are, apparently, cited as precedent to this day in the State of California.  Later, both Harold Cyriacks (1922 ~ 1989), a retired Los Angeles police detective, and his fellow Nebraska branch cousin, Don Cyriacks (1928 ~ ), discovered more about this unconnected Hollywood branch.


Hollywood Branch Narrative

All we know of this very interesting branch of the family comes from what few records exist around the Los Angeles area.  The relatives come from the records associated with the disposition of Fred's estate.  His nice house, some pictures of which will eventually be available, was on Lankershim Boulevard across from Universal Studios.  Although there when I went past it in 1973, it was subsequently torn down.  It was the site where, in 1847, "a local peace treaty was signed at an adobe on the site of what is today Lankershim Boulevard and directly across from the entrance to Universal City Tours and Amusement Park."  Subsequent to that, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed between Mexico and the United States ceding California and other states to the United States.

Fred was apparently associated with the
 

Cyriacks & Co., Bremen
Maƒchinen- und Motoren-Fabrik
Waller-Chausse 46. - - - - Ferniprecher Nr. 4460


all of which came from the letterhead for same.  He apparently made his fortune in automobiles and land by the 1920's but may have lost much of it during the depression.  There had been a rumor that much of his estate was left to the Bank of America, but that seems coincidental.  Fellow Californian Amadeo Peter Giannini bought the then New York Bank of America to consolidate into his newly created TransAmerica Corp. holding company in 1928.  That natural progression of his financial genius eventually evolved into the largest bank in the country - thereby also becoming the most logical fount for rumors about absconded wealth, ill gotten fortunes, and so on.

But, we have found the records of the disposition of Fred's estate and all appears to have been pretty routine and mundane.  The great unaccounted for wealth that was supposed to have been laying out there for lack of known family members was a handy myth to help motivate some digging, but like most searches for 'buried treasure', the search itself was more rewarding than the end result.

Both Fred and Herman Henry Cyriacks are referenced at a web site regarding information published in the Lankershim Laconic and Lankershim Press between 1911 and 1925.  An email exchange garnered the following additional information:

  • Fred's father, Herman Henry died around August 7th, 1925.
  • Fred married Audrey CALLOWAY around July 1st, 1929.
  • Fred's body was exhumed around January 31st, 1940 in order to look for evidence of poisoning.
          [ According to his death certificate, Fred began his deathbed sickness on 1/17/40 - exactly
            3 years prior to this webmaster's birth!  He'd had heart problems since December of 1935. ]

A contribution on behalf of the Cyriac Family History Project has been sent to:

    San Fernando Valley Genealogical Society
    PO Box 3486
    Winnetka, CA 19396
It also contained a request for copies of the relevant newspaper articles when they are found in their as yet unorganized archives.  When received, they will be reproduced here.  

April 2001:  The newly opened Ellis Island records web site reflects 10 CYRIACKS surname hits - half of them for Fred and Hermann.  They are:

  Name of Passenger         Residence      Arrived  Age on Arrival
  -----------------         ----------     -------  --------------
  Friedrich Cyriacks    Bremen, Germany      1909    26  [? 1st trip?]
  Herrmann Cyriacks     Dayton, OH           1910    32  [? 2nd+ trip; brother?]
  Fred Cyriacks         Los Angeles, Cal.    1920    35  [? 2nd trip?]
  Hermann Cyriacks      Bremen, Germany      1922    68  [? Fred's father?]
  Fred Cyriacks         Los Angelos, Cal     1924    37  [? 3rd trip?]
The 32 year old Herrmann CYRIACKS arriving in 1910 indicated he was from Dayton, Ohio.  In other words, that wasn't his first trip to America but a return.  His birth year, 1878, is the same as Fred's brother, Hermann, and, being 5 years older than Fred, it may indicate that Hermann came to America, first, stayed in Dayton, Ohio, and motivated his younger brother Fred to come over for the first time in 1909.  Notice that Fred makes himself younger on each trip - a vanity in line with what else we know of him.  That he made those ?presumed? 2nd and 3rd trips gives an idea of his connections to the old country.  We'd have to discover what kind of accommodations he purchased on those trips to discover whether he displayed his ?presumed? wealth ostentatiously.
    It's likely that he was traveling back and forth between his own and his father's automobile related businesses.  He may also have eased the way for his father to sell his business and retire to America.  A reference, below, shows that Fred already had an automobile dealership in America by 1921.  His father probably had a similar one in Bremen long before that.

Fred's reputation in the roaring twenties was that of a lady's man.  It being Hollywood, after all, with the introduction of the talkies and the budding starlet phenomenon.  And, Fred having both looks and money ...  Wellll, you can figure the rest out.  But, some facts are known.

    [ There is an unconnected branch of our family descending from an orphan named Frederick CYRIACKS - who was born in New York on December 21st, 1909.  It's unlikely that our Fred, here, arriving 25 Nov 1909 on the Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm from Bremen, Germany was the actual father of a child born less than 30 days later.  But, it's a very interesting coincidence that a child born within a month of this immigration to America receives his exact same name.  8/12/03:  Could this orphan be a child of Fred's older brother Hermann who, as indicated above, could have been ?returning? to Dayton, Ohio in 1910?! ]

Cyriac Family Newsletter articles - 1977 & 1981    

Fred's head NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California.  In the tradition of a good detective story, Don and Ruth have uncovered a wealth of information about the Fred Cyriacks who shot the movie dog, "Peter the Great", in 1927.

Don stopped to buy a book last winter at a book store in the San Fernando Valley.  When the little old lady in the store had to order the book for him and saw the Cyriacks name, she asked if he knew about Fred.  She had grown up six blocks from Fred's mansion and told of its reputation for 'wine, women, and song' with the emphasis on the former two items.  (Click here to read the various letters regarding "Hollywood" Fred.)

After Fred died in 1940 at age 57, his older brother Herman (1878-1954) ran or leased the home for a restaurant.  Then in 1946, the home and surrounding cottages were sold to the S. family.  The son Haig S. and his wife Margarite still own the place and were gracious enough to show their home to Don and Ruth in March and to me in May when I had a business appointment that turned out to be only several miles away.

The Ss. have done a beautiful job of restoring the home with its Germanic emphasis on interior woodwork.  The large solarium-indoor garden to the rear of the great hall type living room leads to a fine "beer hall" in the basement.  Some of the insignia originally on the wall tile in this hall indicated old Fred's support for Adolph's regime that was later defeated in World War II.

Many of Fred's papers were in the house when it was sold in 1946.  There are notes about his trip across the United States about 1911 to California.  He apparently started from Dayton, Ohio, where relatives lived, and sold tires as he traveled.  A stop in Denver is recorded.  In addition to his Automobile House and Buick Service Station in Hollywood about 1918, Fred traveled the world with yearly trips to Germany.  Many of his imports from the orient remained with the home.


(December 1981 Newsletter.)  Don C. and daughter Julie report the end of an era.  In November 1980, they stopped on Lankershim Boulevard at Whipple Street and found that the Fred Cyriacks' "mansion" had just been torn down to make way for apartment buildings.  All that beautiful woodwork and Germanic style home design along with many of Fred's records, some dating to his 1910 arrival in the U.S.A. from Germany, "bit the dust".  Fred's estate after his death in 1940, mainly the $60,500 from the sale of the house, was split four ways:  brothers Herman in California and Heinz and George and sister Meta in the Bremen area of Germany.

[ Johnny Carson drove by Fred's Lankershim Blvd mansion
each day on his way to his infamous "Burbank Studios". ]

The following is from an article in the New York Times of that era.

Los Angeles, Dec. 9, 1927.  "Peter the Great", one time dog screen star, was valued at $100,000 by a jury in Superior Court here today.
  Judgment for that sum and an additional $25,000 for damages caused by his death were awarded to the dogs owners, Edward Faust and Charles Dryer, in a suit against Fred Cyriacks, wealthy North Hollywood land owner, who shot and killed "Peter the Great" last year.
  The trial lasted for weeks.  Scores of witnesses were heard, including several film directors and producers.

The plaintiffs contended that "Peter" was killed as he sat in the rear of Fausts' car in front of Cyriacks' house when Cyriacks fired three shots at Faust and the dog.
  Cyriacks' story was that Faust and a companion came to his house in a drunken condition and, fearing violence, he fired the shots into the pavement and struck the dog.
  Cyriacks said he thought the dog was worth about $250.


(Click the picture to go to the web site containing the much larger 'Movie Poster' originals.)

That site is devoted to German Shepherd movie dogs and contains posters for many of them.  In the case of Peter the Great, the site references the following narrative in the book "Peter" written by Clara Foglesong in 1946:
 
On June 6, 1926, Peter, Edward and a couple of friends were driving to a dinner party.  On the way Edward decided to stop by a friends house.  (Fred Cyriacks)  A friend who had played with Peter and whom Peter loved.
 
Edward went to the door and rung the bell.  His friend answered.  Suddenly loud words from Edward and his friend filled the air.  Edwards friend turned, ran into the house and returned with a rifle.  Edward ran to the car and started to drive away.  Suddenly a shot rang out cutting through the back of the car.  Another shot, this one straight in line with Edwards head.  Peter knew that something was wrong and jumped toward Edward.  He was struck in the neck.  Peter was rushed to the hospital where for 3 days and 2 nights specialists tried to save him.  Peter died with his paws in the hands of Edward.


Another New York Times article of November 25th, 1924 (p 26:1), reviews "The Silent Accuser", (photography by Chs. Dryer), one of Peter the Great's movies.  The dog star's other credits were: ("Peter the Great" movie dogs site link)
  • 1922 - Little Red Riding Hood
  • 1924 - The Silent Accuser
  • 1925 - Wild Justice
  • 1926 - King of the Pack & The Sign of the Claw    
LEGAL:  Civ. No. 7654.  District Court of Appeal, First District, Division 1, California.  Feb. 28, 1931.  [112 Cal. App. pp 279~285 and 297 Pacific Reporter pp. 35~38, an appeal of the above case, has:

While the plaintiff Faust, accompanied by two companions, named Richardson and Kempin, were leaving the home of the defendant Cyriacks in an automobile following a quarrel which had taken place there, Cyriacks fired three shots from a rifle at the automobile.  One of the bullets embedded itself in the spare tire, another hit Kempin's hat and the other penetrated the rear of the automobile and struck and killed a dog belonging to plaintiffs, which, unknown to Cyriacks, was riding on the rear seat with Kempin.  Thereafter plaintiffs brought this action for damages for the killing of the dog and upon trial in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County a jury awarded them $100,000 actual and $25,000 punitive damages.  The trial court set aside the verdict and granted a new trial, one of the grounds therefore being that the verdict was excessive.

    The dog was of the breed known as German police dog, and the scene of the shooting was in or near Hollywood, the dog being worked in the moving picture industry and known as "Peter the Great".  All of the interested parties to this controversy are connected with the same industry.  The circumstances leading up to the shooting are sharply conflicting, and it would be unnecessary to inquire into them except that under section 3340 of the Civil Code exemplary damages may be awarded "for wrongful injuries to animals being subjects of property, committed willfully or by gross negligence, in disregard of humanity"; and the jury awarded plaintiffs an extra $25,000 to cover such element.  It appears from the evidence that on the night of the shooting all of the parties had been drinking, and that Cyriacks which arose over the fact that several days previously Faust had called at Cyriacks' home while he was away and as he claims insulted his housekeeper.


(Click the picture to go to the web site containing the much larger 'Movie Poster' originals.)

    The shooting took place shortly after dark.  Late that afternoon Richardson and his wife were making a call at Faust's house and a quarrel took place between Richardson and his wife, because she persisted in petting Peter the Great after he had shown a dislike for her by snapping at her; and Mrs. Richardson left.  Thereupon Richardson and Faust started out to find her in Richardson's automobile, taking Kempin and Peter the Great along with them in the back seat.  After searching the streets in the immediate vicinity they went to Cyriacks' house, where he was entertaining some friends, to see if she was there.  Faust testified that he went to the door and inquired for Mrs. Richardson and that after a few words Cyriacks struck at him; that Richardson then came up and asked for his wife; whereupon Cyriacks sicked his police dog on Richardson; that Cyriacks then turned to go into the house for his gun, and that as he did so Faust and Richardson returned to the automobile and started to drive away; that they had proceeded about halfway down the driveway when Cyriacks began shooting, with the result already stated.  Faust's testimony was supported generally by the testimony of Richardson.  Cyriacks gave conflicting accounts of the shooting, but the substance of the testimony he gave in court was as follows:  He stated that Faust appeared at his door and asked for a drink; that observing that Faust had already been drinking, he told him that he had had enough; whereupon Faust told Cyriacks to bring out his, Cyriacks', dog and he would throw him in the fish pond; that he then took Faust by the arm, and as they proceeded toward the fish pond Cyriacks' dog ran out toward the automobile; that he called the dog back and Faust struck the dog over the nose; that Cyriacks then struck Faust and knocked him down; that Faust then dashed into Cyriacks' house, grabbed a revolver from a holster hanging near the door and called to Richardson to bring his gun; that Cyriacks then went into the house, brought out his rifle and fired down the driveway; that Faust and Richardson then got in the automobile and drove away.  The guests at Cyriacks' house corroborated his statements.  Cyriacks denied knowing that Kempin or Peter the Great were in the automobile, and there is no testimony in the record to show that he had any reason to believe they were there.

This case is referenced at Dog Bite Law under Cost or Market Value of Dog.

Automobile Dealership

Another case, 185 Cal. 70, MOONEY v. CYRIACKS. (L. A. 6041.) (Supreme Court of California. Feb. 14, 1921.) 195 Pacific Reporter pp 922~929, involves a Fred R. Cyriacks.  Probably one and the same, this earlier incident regards an "alleged" lemon sold to Ms. Mooney.
        Click here to read more about Fred's automobile dealership.

This case is referenced at another legal references site.


Another case of December 17, 1934.  ETTA M. McCONNELL, an Incompetent Person, etc., Respondent, v. F. W. HERBERT et al., Defendants; F. R. CYRIACKS, Appellant, is no longer found on the web.


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