Grandpa didn't get laid. Howard Stern contest winner, 86, died before claiming prize

Emerson Marcus | Reno Gazette-Journal

Johnny Orris, 86, traveled to South Lake Tahoe for prime rib Thursday before using his "Good Time" pass at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Mound House.

Orris, who won the pass on the "Get My Grandpa Laid" Howard Stern Show contest, wouldn't return, as he was pronounced dead after choking on a steak at the Harveys Lake Tahoe Sage Room Steakhouse, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office confirmed Monday.

"This is one of the saddest days in Bunny Ranch history," the brothel's owner Dennis Hof said. '...(Orris) was in frail health and had a hard time chewing and muscles went soft to the point where he couldn't spit it up."

The Illinois farmer's grandson Ed Orris entered his grandfather in the Howard Stern show contest about three months ago, Hof said.

After announcing he won, Orris began corresponding with Caressa Kisses, the 28-year-old call girl he was scheduled to meet for the pass.

Orris emailed Kisses every day for more than a month and developed a relationship with her before their meeting last week, Hof said.

"He said at the meeting, 'This is the greatest day of my life,' and that 'It brought energy back to my life and I can't wait to meet Caressa,'" Hof said. "(Orris) decided he wanted steak, prime rib, went to the Sage Room at Harveys (Lake Tahoe) and of course he had two bites and choked and died."

"(Orris') grandson tried the Heimlich maneuver several times," El Dorado County Sheriff Lt. Pete Van Arnum said. "That didn't work and he had CPR performed on way to Barton (Memorial Hospital) where he was pronounced dead (Thursday evening)."

Van Arnum said an autopsy report is expected to be completed this week to determine official cause of death.

Hof said Orris, of Sullivan, Ill., brought a $10,000 tip to give to Kisses.

They gave the pass to Orris' grandson Ed, who used it that evening, Hof said.

"I don't know what happened to the $10,000," Hof said.