You know the face. That booming laugh and the "I gotta call a buddy of mine" catchphrase have made Rick Harrison a household name for nearly two decades. But if you think the drama at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is just about lowballing people for their 18th-century muskets, you're only seeing half the picture. The real story—the pawn stars rick harrison family dynamic—is a chaotic, sometimes heartbreaking, and very human saga that the History Channel cameras often gloss over.
Honestly, it's been a wild ride lately.
Just this month, January 2026, Rick made what he's calling the "best deal" of his life. At 60 years old, he walked down the aisle at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas to marry Angie Polushkin. It was a classic Vegas move. An Elvis impersonator officiated, the whole thing cost about $550, and they had the reception at his BBQ joint, Rick's Rollin Smoke. It feels like a fresh start after a couple of years that would have broken most people.
The Tragedy No One Saw Coming
Life hasn't been all vintage Rolexes and easy flips. The Harrison family was rocked to its core in early 2024 when Rick’s son, Adam, passed away.
Adam was the "quiet" one. While Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison became a reality TV staple, Adam stayed away from the limelight. He worked at the shop for a bit before the show took off, but he eventually went off to do his own thing as a plumber. He was only 39.
The cause was a fentanyl overdose.
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It changed Rick. You can see it in his eyes in recent interviews. He’s been vocal about the "border crisis" and the flood of synthetic opioids, but on a personal level, he admits he second-guesses everything. "Could I have done something different?" he asked in a recent sit-down with Graham Bensinger. It’s that universal parent guilt, magnified by the fact that he’d put Adam through rehab multiple times over the years.
The Current State of the Harrison Heirs
With "The Old Man" (Richard Benjamin Harrison) passing away back in 2018, the shop's future really rests on the next generation. It’s a weird mix of biological kids and "shop family."
- Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison: He’s still the heir apparent, though he’s looking a lot different these days after dropping over 100 pounds. He runs the day-to-day and actually makes more purchases than Rick now.
- Jake Harrison: The youngest son. He made his debut on the show around Season 18. Rick’s been putting him through the wringer, teaching him how to spot a fake Rolex by the shade of green on the dial.
- Chumlee: Look, he’s not a biological Harrison, but he might as well be. Rick basically raised him. Despite his legal troubles years ago and his persona as the "village idiot," he's actually a savvy businessman with his own candy shop and a massive merch empire.
Then there are the daughters. Most fans don't realize Rick has three stepdaughters—Sarina, Ciana, and Marissa—from his marriage to Deanna Burditt. Even though that marriage ended in 2020, Rick still treats them like his own. He even walked Ciana down the aisle at her wedding a few years back.
A History of "I Do" (And "I'm Out")
The pawn stars rick harrison family tree is complicated because Rick has been married five times now. Yeah, five.
He married his first wife, Kim, back in 1982. They had Corey and Adam, but the marriage didn't last three years. Then came Tracy, who he was with for a long time—over two decades—and they had Jake. After that, things got a bit more... frequent. Deanna was wife number three, followed by a brief marriage to Amanda Palmer in 2021 that fizzled out by 2023.
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Now we’re at Angie. She’s a registered nurse, which led to a pretty funny joke circulating in Vegas right now: The first four marriages are for love; the last one is to find a nurse. Rick doesn't care. He says he's the happiest he’s ever been. They met in early 2024, right around that dark time with Adam, and she seems to be the one who helped him pull through. He proposed with a 6.5-carat pear-shaped diamond he pulled right out of the pawn shop's inventory. Talk about a perk of the job.
Business vs. Blood
The Gold & Silver Pawn Shop isn't just a TV set. It’s a 24-hour business that’s been open since 1989. When you’re dealing with that much cash and that much family pressure, things get messy. Corey once threatened to walk away if he wasn't given a 10% stake in the company. He eventually got 5%, but the tension between father and son is real.
They argue. They yell. They disagree on whether a $50,000 car is a "good buy" or a "money pit."
But they show up.
What people get wrong is thinking it’s all scripted. Sure, the "experts" are called in for the camera, but the underlying family dynamics—the ribbing, the stubbornness of "The Old Man" that still haunts the halls, the way Rick protects his kids—that's as real as it gets.
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What You Can Learn from the Harrison Saga
If you’re looking at the pawn stars rick harrison family and wondering how they keep the wheels on, it basically comes down to a few hard-earned lessons Rick has shared over the years:
- Don't over-leverage your life. Rick dropped out of school because he was making $2,000 a week selling fake Gucci bags. He learned the value of a dollar early, and even with millions in the bank, he still worries about cash flow and margins.
- Separate the person from the addiction. His openness about Adam's death is a reminder that even the "smartest guy in the room" can't fix everything.
- Invest in what you know. Rick buys gold, silver, and history because those things don't go to zero. He applies the same logic to people; he surrounds himself with the ones who have proven their loyalty over decades, like Chumlee.
If you ever find yourself in Vegas, the shop is at 713 S Las Vegas Blvd. You might not see Rick—he’s a busy man these days, especially with a second "big" wedding ceremony planned for Cancun later this month—but you’ll definitely feel the history.
The next time you watch an episode, look past the item on the counter. Look at the way Corey and Rick interact. It’s a masterclass in how to run a multi-million dollar empire while navigating the minefield of family expectations and personal loss.
To get a real feel for how the shop operates behind the scenes, you should check out the latest season of the show or even stop by Rick’s BBQ place. You’ll see that despite the fame, they’re still just a bunch of guys from Vegas trying to make a buck and keep the family together.
Actionable Insight: If you're managing a family business or dealing with complex estate planning like the Harrisons, the biggest takeaway is transparency. Rick’s "The Old Man" left a clear legacy, and while the transitions haven't always been smooth, having a "heir apparent" like Corey has kept the shop from folding like so many other family businesses. Take a look at your own "succession plan," even if it’s just who gets the family photos.