Report: Man in Leno car suit kills self

NEW YORK, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A New York man being sued alongside TV talk show host Jay Leno fatally shot himself in the head, a law enforcement source told the New York Post.

Dennis Ricca, director of maintenance for Garage Management Corp., and Leno were accused in a recently filed lawsuit of knowingly participating "in certain unlawful purported auctions and sales of late Macy's heir John Straus's vehicles -- a 1931 Duesenberg Model J, which Leno reportedly has, and a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom convertible, which Ricca was said to have had in his possession.

Also named in the suit were other top executives at Garage Management Corp. and their affiliates.

The suit claims the cars, which had been housed in GMC garages, were wrongly sold after Straus attempted to bring his overdue account for the rental spaces up to date.

The Post quoted its source as saying Ricca killed himself last Friday, just days after the lawsuit was filed.

A mourner at Ricca's wake told the newspaper, "That did it to him," referring to the lawsuit and the scandal it created.

Bruce Bronster, an attorney representing both the garage company and Leno, told the Post, "We hope the press will respect his family and let them grieve in peace."