Monthly Archives: May 2007

A little place called Viet-Nam

President Ngo Dinh Diem, assassinated November 1963

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Pusher gets life

  May 18, 1957 Los Angeles Gilbert M. Zaragoza, 21, of 3322 Oregon St. was led out of Federal court to serve the rest of his life in prison, presumably thankful that he escaped the death penalty. His crime? He … Continue reading

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Dave Pell

Dave Pell swings at the Shrine Auditorium.

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Shotgun slaying

  May 18, 1957 Alhambra She was going to leave him, so she had to die. In fact, he killed all of them. Marilyn Ockman, 25, and Sally, their 4-year-old daughter, were in the dining room of their home at … Continue reading

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Matt Weinstock

May 17, 1957 Anyone who does any downtown strolling can’t help noticing the parade of shabby gentlemen lost in misfortune and alcoholism. Most of them are obviously drifting aimlessly and hopelessly. But many of them, beneath their ragged clothes, are … Continue reading

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Ain’t it Garand?

May 17, 1957 Los Angeles An otherwise unidentified author named James McLean writes a misty-eyed farewell to the passing of M-1 Garand, recalling the day in 1941 that his Army drill sergeant introduced him to the replacement for the ’03 … Continue reading

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JFK’s Pulitzer

  Times book critic Robert R. Kirsch is less than impressed with the Pulitzer awarded to Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.) for "Profiles in Courage, calling it "a rather astonishing choice." "Courage" was an interesting book and well worth reading, … Continue reading

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Hat squad

  May 17, 1957 Los Angeles Let the record show that there was once a time in Los Angeles when something other than a backward baseball cap was deemed the height of fashion in men’s hats. [I mean, guys, at … Continue reading

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Neumann on the Mideast, Part 12

Note: In early 1957, The Times sent UCLA professor Robert G. Neumann on a six-week tour of the Middle East. Neumann, who was later the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Morocco, wrote these stories upon his return. His son, Ronald, … Continue reading

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Jack Smith

Jack Smith sets the scene for South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem’s visit to Los Angeles.

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Not on Netflix

  "Voodoo Woman" Bad things happen when treasure hunters set foot in voodoo country. Look for Mike "Panic Button" Connors as "Touch Connors."  "This story has been done a thousand times instead of just a hundred and frequently much better."  … Continue reading

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Paul V. Coates–Confidential File

May 16, 1957 The story appeared in the Mirror-News about a month ago. Venus Gonzales, 17, read it. That evening, when her husband, Buddy, 21, came home from work, she showed it to him. Both of them shuddered at the … Continue reading

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Tough prosecutor

  May 16, 1957 Los Angeles While L. Ewing Scott uses every possible ploy to delay his extradition from Michigan, the district attorney’s office has appointed top prosecutor J. Miller Leavy to handle the case. Leavy has just finished the … Continue reading

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Neumann on the Mideast, Part 11

Note: In early 1957, The Times sent UCLA professor Robert G. Neumann on a six-week tour of the Middle East. Neumann, who was later the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Morocco, wrote these stories upon his return. His son, Ronald, … Continue reading

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Drivers’ Ed Theatre

"Frigidaire Finale," 1957 Bad things happen when a choreographer is turned loose with two dancers and a bunch of appliances.

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Hollywood madam

May 15, 1957 Los Angeles The papers called her an actress, but she was never in anything but trouble and her only talent was for raising hell. Even the gossip magazines quit working with her because they didn’t trust her. … Continue reading

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Neumann on the Mideast, Part 10

Note: In early 1957, The Times sent UCLA professor Robert G. Neumann on a six-week tour of the Middle East. Neumann, who was later the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Morocco, wrote these stories upon his return. His son, Ronald, … Continue reading

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Buddy Rich!

Buddy Rich plays the Valley, May 14, 1957 Click here to see Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa.

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Zombies

  My friend Mary McCoy from the 1947project and L.A. Public Library hit upon an interesting endeavor while wandering the closed stacks: Revisiting the bestsellers of the past. Not just any bestsellers, mind you; they have to be forgotten and … Continue reading

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Matt Weinstock

May 14, 1957 They are reluctant to say so publicly, but many men of science are extremely apprehensive about the continued testing of atomic bombs. As scientists, they know what it means that a single present-day bomb has several hundred … Continue reading

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