From the Brooklyn Time Union, 5 July 1935:

"George Leon Loft of 77 Park Avenue, Manhattan, son of George W. Loft, the candy manufacturer and former representative in Congress, died yesterday in Doctors' Hospital, Manhattan, after a week's illness. He was 40.

"Mr. Loft was born in New York City. He attended St. Ignatius Loyola High School, Manhattan. At one time he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange, but sold his seat in 1923. He and his father lost control of Loft, Inc. in 1920 and thereafter organized another confectionery business, more recently taking up also the retailing of liquor. He was vice president of George W. Loft Markets Inc., president of the Skourpak Steel Wool Corporation and vice president and secretary of the 54 Barclay St. Company.

"Mr. Loft was divorced in 1925 from Mrs. Elizabeth Ahearn Loft, sister of the late Edward J. Ahearn, Tammany leader. Mr. Loft subsequently married Rose Gallagher, a musical comedy actress.

"Surviving are his wife, his father who is ill in Doctor's Hospital, and his step-mother. Funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at St. Ignatius Loyola Church. Burial will be in the family vault in St. Raymond's Cemetery, the Bronx."

***
He was a man of the Roaring 20s, from the Great Gatsby. He was a man-about-town, the "Candy Kid." He seems to have been often in trouble: drunk-driving and "annoying girls." And then there was the show-girl...

From the New York Daily News, 27 March 1930:

"Perhaps Rose Gallagher, former Ziegfeld beauty, was fibbing when she sought to impress a hard-boiled police captain who had arrested her one night in February 1929 for driving while intoxicated. She said she was Mrs. George L. Loft. And perhaps she was. And perhaps she wasn't.

"At any rate she is Mrs. George L. Loft now. The news of her secret marriage to the son the rich candy manufacturer came out yesterday.

"The younger Loft, for many moons a Broadway high-stepper and friend of back-stage goddesses, is no longer in the candy business with his father. He maintains separate offices at 10 E. 40th St., and confirmation of the marriage came from there.

"A person identifying himself as the Loft secretary, but talking as familiarly of the romance as if he might have been the boss himself, admitted that the romance of the candy heir and the show-girl had materialized into marriage, but no details of the affair were forthcoming.

"Further confirmation came from Mrs. Loft's sister, Alice Gallagher at her home, 225 Parkside Ave., Brooklyn.

"'Sure, they're married all right--and happily, too,' she said, 'but I can't say anything more just now. There might be some other girl trying to make trouble. I'll talk to them tomorrow.'

"At the time of Rose's arrest, in Valley Stream, L.I., the police held her in $500 bail despite her proclamation that she was Mrs. Loft.

"When Loft was apprised of her statement next day, he shook his head quite certainly.
'She's not married to me,' he declared. 'Must be some other Loft.'

"Arraigned before a justice of the peace a few hours later, Rose stuck to her story, giving her name as Mrs. Rose Gallagher Loft, and identified her home at 25 E. 9th St., where young Loft then resided.

"As soon as she had taken a lecture from the court and paid a $500 fine, she hurried away denying the Loft connection."

***
From the Brooklyn Times Union, 27 March 1930:

"George L. Loft, breezy young heir to the candy king's millions. and Rose Gallagher, former Follies beauty with an ordinary Flatbush background, have been secretly married for more than a year.

"At the time of the girl's arrest the 'candy kid' denied she was his wife.

"Today, however, George L. Loft, acting the part of the busy executive in his swanky offices at 10 E. 40th St., Manhattan, where is is managing his father's real estate holdings, frankly admitted that he and the beautify Rose are married.

"'Not just married either, but happily married,' he grinned, while telephones buzzed around him and half a doze persons waited in the outside office to close a big realty deal.

"Back a few seasons, young Loft was a familiar playboy of Broadway, where he earned the nickname 'Candy Kid,' but now he has settled down to serious business and marriage. He cheerfully admitted he and Miss Gallagher have been married for more than a year, but added that the ceremony took place 'after that automobile trouble.'

"I told the truth then when I said we weren't married,' he added earnestly. 'But we were married soon after that.'

"Young Loft will not tell when or where they were married, 'because it might get someone into trouble.' He is outwardly proud of the fact that the secret marriage was 'put over without everyone in town getting wise to it.'

"He said everyone would not be making such a fuss now if he had not inadvertently permitted the names of 'Mr. and Mrs. George L. Loft' appear on the passenger list of the steamer that brough them up from the South last Thursday.

"'I don't give a darn about this nonsense,' the young man explained in his breezy fashion, 'but the old man hits the ceiling everyone time I burst in print with he family name. It's no cinch being a rich man's son.'

"At the time of Rose's arrest out in Valley Stream, which young Loft explains away in his casual manner, the elder Loft was traveling abroad.

"'Some darn fool cut out every clipping mentioning my name and mailed them to the old man in Constantinople,' young Loft said. 'You can imagine how he felt about that. It took me a long time to clear up that full. Everything is fine now though. Father had never met Rose and you can just about picture how he felt when he read she had been arrested for driving a car while intoxicated. The poor girl had only taken a couple of cocktails, as anyone would at the party we were at on Long Island and everyone kicked up such a fuss you would think we had committed murder. The funny part is Rose isn't that kind of a girl at all. She is the quiet kind, you know.'

"Loft, a good-looking chap, bronzed from the Southern sun and athletic appearing, with a wide infectious grin, leaned back in his swivel chair and let the telephones ring. He has been living with Mrs. Loft in an apartment off lower Fifth Ave. since they were married, and they have been forgiven by both their families.

"My family likes Rose and everything is swell until something like this crops up,' he said. 'Rose's family doesn't disapprove either.'

"He met her about two years ago at a party and went with her steadily after that. He described her as 'a beautiful blond, very domesticated, ' and added "We are very happy. If everyone will only leave us alone.'

"Young Loft denied he was on bad terms with his father and said he was working 'for the old man.' The elder Loft gave up his connection with the candy company about a year ago and has since devoted his time to taking care of his vast real estate holdings in Manhattan.

"Out at 225 Parkside Ave., the Flatbush home of Mrs. Loft's family , they are not so communicative at Rose's brilliant match. Papa Gallagher came to the door of the apartment in his shirt sleeves and refused to have any discussion on the matter. His only comment was: 'They are married and I won't say whether it was with or without my consent.'

"Miss Alice Gallagher, one of Rose's four sisters, was hurrying off for school, but she, too, confirmed the marriage.

"'They are happily married, but I can't say anymore,' she said. 'There might be some other girl trying to make trouble.'

"The girl would not explain what she meant by that.

"Mrs. Loft has not been in the chorus since her marriage, her husband said."

***
He was an Ensign in the U.S. Navy from 1917 to 1919.

In a newspaper article about his mother's will, it said that he was an adopted son. His military record says he was born in Jersey City, NJ.