The Mysterious Death of Buffalo Jim: Las Vegas Celebrity and Feud with the Mafia

The Life and Rise of Buffalo Jim

• 💡 James Barrier, known as Buffalo Jim, was a Las Vegas celebrity recognized for his unique style and mechanical expertise.
• 🚗 Starting mechanic work at 13, he eventually owned Allstate Auto and Marine Electric, fixing vehicles for celebrities like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
• 🌟 His outgoing personality and distinctive nickname, earned from a peculiar encounter, contributed to his local fame.
• 👨‍👧‍👧 Despite a past of heavy partying, Jim prioritized his four daughters after their births, striving to be a good provider.
• 🤼 He also founded the Buffalo Wrestling Federation, a vocational school for aspiring pro wrestlers, and hosted a wrestling show.
• 🏆 In 2005, the Las Vegas Review Journal named him the city's most colorful character.

Feud with the Crazy Horse 2

• 💥 A significant feud began in the late 90s when Jim refused to sell his business space to allow for the expansion of the Crazy Horse 2 strip club, allegedly tied to the mafia.
• 💔 This conflict led to harassment, including vandalism of his shop, destruction of customers' cars, and threats.
• ⚖️ Jim filed a $1 million lawsuit against the club's owner, Rick Rzolo, alleging illegal activities and corruption.
• 🕵️ Jim actively supplied federal investigators with evidence against the Crazy Horse 2 for about two years.

Mysterious Death and Investigation

• 🚨 Rick Rzolo was released from house arrest on April 4th, 2008, and Jim Barrier died the very next day, April 5th.
• 📞 Jim had contacted journalists about a threatening letter detailing his home address earlier on the day of his death.
• 🏨 Jim was found deceased in a Motel 6 room, with his pants down and shirt open, and a white powdery substance on his face.
• 🚗 His Rolls-Royce was initially missing from the motel parking lot but was later found.
• ❓ The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy and heart inflammation, with cocaine intoxication as a contributing factor, though his family suspects foul play.
• 💊 An empty prescription bottle for expired heart medication and 20mg of GHB were found, but the GHB was not considered a factor in his death.
• 💔 Jim's family, including his attorney, believes he was murdered, possibly by being forced to ingest cocaine or being tricked with a more potent substance, and that the circumstances were staged.
• 🚫 Despite suspicions and inconsistencies, the police found no evidence of foul play, and a formal investigation was not conducted.