Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 1957

Los Angeles

It’s almost 3 a.m. and we’re parked on 134th Street between Water Way
and Central Avenue in Compton. In two years, there will be houses all
along the north side of the street. It’s hard to make out in the dark,
but that’s a big, orange Cadillac in front of us. Our victim is in
there. Ready? Let’s take a look. Keep your hands in your pockets and
don’t move anything.

That’s him behind the wheel. Max "The
Money Man" Shayne, 43. He’s heavyset, bald and wears glasses. Strangled
with a man’s linen handkerchief, otherwise there’s not a mark on him.

There’s the cutoff end of a woman’s silk stocking near the body.
Pockets are turned inside-out and papers, business cards and an address
book are on the floor of the car. He usually carries a stack of $100
bills, but his wallet is missing. He’s got 20 cents on him. According
to these business papers, he has a piece of two Anaheim cafes and
carries $175,000 in life insurance.

Kind of a shady customer. Shayne was arrested in Berwyn, Ill., in 1937
for receiving stolen property and sentenced to a year in prison. He and
his brother Irving are out on bail while they appeal a conviction for
defrauding the Federal Housing Administration. Prosecutors said the
Shaynes used the Money Man agency to arrange home improvement loans
that were used to pay off bills instead.

His widow, Molly, says she wasn’t aware of any threats and said he
hadn’t been worried about anything recently. Got a son named Sherwin
and a daughter named Sheila.

We better get moving. Officers A.E. Wise and R.L. Brown of the Compton
Police Department are making their rounds and they’ll be here soon.
Nothing more to see here, anyway.

To be continued.

Email me