Career
Ellis Erdman was a combat veteran of World World War II, having served with the United States Army Air Corps from 1944 to the V-J Day. In 1952 they moved to Elmira, New York where Erdman worked for WELM, a Gannett radio station. In 1956 he co-founded WTKO radio in Ithaca, New York with Thomas Cassell and a group of investors, and the family moved to Ithaca.
On February 1, 1960 Erdman purchased the Rural Radio Network, an interconnected group of six commercial FM radio stations spread across upstate New New York
In addition to owning radio stations, Erdman was also a radio play-by-play announcer for the New York Giants football team Erdman was also involved in the ownership of sports teams.
Erdman"s Transport-National Communications were the majority owners of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association from 1969-1971 and the Oakland Seals of the National Hockey League during the 1969-1970 National Hockey League season. Erdman was also the owner of the Carolina Cardinals of the United States Basketball League.
A 2000 investigation of Ellis Erdman and his International Trade & Commerce Corporation by the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Erdman of being a "confidence man" claiming he "passed himself off as a Cornell Law School graduate experienced in taking companies public." As chairman of International Trade Commission, Erdman was found to have "orchestrated a classic "pump and dump" scheme," but died in 1997 before ever tried in court.
Erdman was married to Phebe Weeks Erdman from 1949 until their divorce in 1985. The couple was reunited in 1992 and were together until his death. They had three children.
The Erdmans were residents of Ithaca, New New York
