Just outside of Cleveland on a Private Island you can find one of the most expensive country clubs in the United States.  The country club which is the most secretive and exclusive club in Ohio reportedly costs around $90,000 to join and the identities of its 68 members have never been revealed.

Rattlesnake island is an 85 acre island that was named by the Ottawa Indians for the two craggy islets on the north end, which resemble a snake’s rattles. The island has unique history. During Prohibition, it was rumored to be a bootlegging station and in 1929  entrepreneur Hubert Bennett built a house on the island, by floating logs from the mainland to build a cabin, dining hall, electric plant and gas generator, as well as a 185-foot dock. Most of the historical structures have since been modified by the club, turned into party pads for this poor city’s upper class. The current owners are secret investors who bought the island for $4.6 million in 1998.

The Cleveland Free Press recently did an interesting article on this exclusive “country club” exposing the seedy underside to this island retreat. The article seems to indicate that the club isn’t as posh as some would like you to believe, rather it is a hotbed for seedy behavior and exploitation of its mainly eastern European staff.

To read the full article visit the Cleveland Free Press.