Wisconsin-born man most their for his romantic relationship with, and subsequent multi-million dollar lawsuit against, the singer Liberace. His profile was raised considerably in 2013 with the release of the HBO film Behind the Candelabra, which dramatizes his relationship with the singer.
He was born in La Crosse and first met Liberace in 1976 through movie producer Ray Arnett.
He was sentenced to 4 years in prison on drug and burglary charges in 2008. In 2014, he was arrested once again for probation violations and sentenced to 8 to 20 years in prison.
He was in a romantic relationship with dancer Bob Street before becoming involved with Liberace.
He was portrayed in Behind the Candelabra by Matt Damon, who was nominated for an Emmy for his performance.