Category Archives: Homicide

Mob murders in L.A.

View Larger Map I spent a little time tracking down the addresses of what the LAPD said were Mafia killings from 1906 to 1951. Even a superficial look reveals problems with the Police Department’s list. As noted elsewhere, the 1934 … Continue reading

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April 25, 1958

Above, the L.A. Dodgers appear in a crossword puzzle, always a barometer of popular culture … Below, Cheryl Crane is released from custody … Secret Service agents detain a woman who burst out of a crowd and insisted on seeing … Continue reading

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Mob killings

April 29, 1959 I stumbled across this page yesterday while looking for details on the Les Bruneman killing at the Roost cafe. Unfortunately, the front page didn’t get microfilmed, so all we have is the jump. Still, it’s a nice, … Continue reading

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April 23, 1938

Below, the 1937 slaying of underworld figure Les Bruneman intrudes into the trial of Police Capt. Earle Kynette in the Harry Raymond bombing. (Pete Pianezzi, convicted of killing Bruneman at the Roost cafe, was paroled in 1953) … Former City … Continue reading

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April 22, 1958

Above, a baseball museum in Los Angeles? Really?? Well look at this: Below, a United Air Lines DC-7 and an Air Force F-100F Super Sabre on a training flight collide over Nevada, killing everyone on both aircraft. The victims include … Continue reading

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Child molested, killed

April 16, 1938-Sept. 16, 1939 How about that? The tracks are still here, a block south of Firestone on Myrtle. I think that’s where they found her body in the weeds. Poor little kid. Her name was Jenny — Jenny … Continue reading

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April 21, 1908

Below, an update in the saga of some "Hearstlings" who stole pictures of the Great White Fleet to be published in the Examiner … Note the story about the 1906 Brownsville, Texas, incident in which African American troops of the … Continue reading

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Club Mecca firebombing

April 20, 2008 Someone asked me if I placed this notice in today’s issues of The Times. No, I didn’t. But I’m glad these people are remembered.  Read my original Club Mecca post here. Email me

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Gang killing

April 19, 1958 Los Angeles One gang was called the Cogents. The other was called the Black Wongs. At least that’s what The Times said. We don’t know much more than that except someone died in a fight outside the … Continue reading

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April 18, 1958

Above, note that Robin Ogle was drafted by the Dodgers as a first baseman in 1972. Below, The Times drops the nameplate for the Dodgers’ mug shots and runs a nice, deep picture of Carl Erskine … Also note the … Continue reading

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April 17, 1958

Below, Dodgers over the Giants, 13-1, in San Francisco. Tomorrow is the Big Day in L.A., with a Dodger motorcade from City Hall to the Coliseum, The Times says … Police  investigate whether the late Johnny Stompanato was blackmailing Hollywood … Continue reading

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April 15, 1908

Below, an old-fashioned lunatic–really crazy–is on trial in the killing of his ex-wife, who used to sleep with a knife under her pillow. He uses the "everything went black" defense … The Police Board appoints a committee to study scam … Continue reading

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Stompanato inquest

April 11, 1958Los Angeles The Mirror published excerpts of the coroner’s inquest in the death of Johnny Stompanato. Several crucial paragraphs about the stabbing are, unfortunately, illegible in my scan of the first runover page. I’ll try to get a … Continue reading

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April 11, 1958

Gosh, I don’t remember "Viking Women and the Sea Serpent" coming to my neighborhood theater when I was a kid. And no, it’s not on Netflix! "The Astounding She Monster" is not a title that leaves much to the imagination, … Continue reading

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Paul Coates

April 10, 1958 Well, this is fairly odd. We didn’t write a word about this shooting and I can’t imagine the reason. Let me take that back. I can think of one reason we wouldn’t have written about it. I’d … Continue reading

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April 10, 1958

Half a century does nothing to erase the pain of this picture. The young man is David Greenstein and he’s being comforted by his mother, Gladys, after a coroner’s jury ruled that his slaying of his father, Rubin, was justifiable … Continue reading

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Girl strangled

April 4-June 12, 1958 Los Angeles "I think I just killed a girl."Cary had killed her, all right. Strangled her with her sweater. Afterward, he drove around the Valley with her slumped under the dash until the left front wheel … Continue reading

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April 9, 1958

Above, a review of a concert at the Million Dollar Theater (coming up May 11: Mariachi Vargas!) Below, Mickey Cohen touches off a sensation by releasing Lana Turner’s love letters to Johnny Stompanato. Quote of the Day: "In all my … Continue reading

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April 9, 1938

Above, Cleveland’s notorious "Torso Killer" strikes again. Below, a defense expert examines bomb fragments in the Harry Raymond case … The 40 women in the 1st Street School Americanization class stage a fashion show. I’ll have to do a little … Continue reading

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April 8, 1958

Above, Al Jolson in blackface as the lead in "Porgy and Bess" while African Americans play all the other roles? Now there’s a casting idea that takes my breath away. Philip Scheuer interviews Ira Gershwin and notes that the lyricist … Continue reading

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