Category Archives: LAPD

Liberace’s mother beaten

Posted on July 19, 2007 by lmharnisch

July 19, 1957Los Angeles Hours after Liberace gave a deposition in his $25-million libel suit against Confidential magazine, two masked intruders attacked his mother in the garage of Liberace’s home, 15405 Valley Vista Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Frances Liberace Casadonte, (68, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

You, the jury, Part II

Posted on July 19, 2007 by lmharnisch

July 19, 1957 Los Angeles The jury convicted Wallace LeRoy Schiers of second-degree murder on July 18, 1957. But Schiers continued to insist that he did not kill his wife. He said: “I have nothing on my conscience. Somewhere along … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock

Posted on July 18, 2007 by lmharnisch

July 18, 1957 Don Bailey Jr. has no red tab on his rear license plate. He applied for it like other motorists during the renewal period but never received it. Apparently it was lost in the processing at Sacramento or … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, LAPD, Transportation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock

Missing woman found

Posted on July 18, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Mildred Hall, 44, who vanished Nov. 15, 1956, and was the subject of a Paul Coates column, resurfaced in April 1959, posing as many baffling questions as she did when she disappeared after leaving a note for her husband, … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Paul Coates | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Missing woman found

Paul V. Coates–Confidential File

Posted on July 16, 2007 by lmharnisch

July 15, 1957 SUBJECT’S NAME: Mildred Dolores Hall. SUBJECT’S DESCRIPTION: Age, 42, height, 5 feet, 6 inches. Weight, 118 lbs., Red-blond hair. Brown eyes. Slim-medium build. Any person with information as to the subject’s whereabouts is requested to contact the … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, LAPD, Paul Coates | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

You, the jury, Part I

Posted on July 16, 2007 by lmharnisch

  July 16, 1957 Los Angeles Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have heard the witnesses and seen the evidence. Now you must decide whether to find Wallace LeRoy Schiers, 34, guilty of second-degree murder in the killing his … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1957, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sea bag murder

Posted on July 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

  July 12-13, 1957 Los Angeles Two men from the Harbor Department were picking trash out of the main channel at Terminal Island when they saw the big canvas bag–twice the size of a Navy sea bag–drifting against the pier … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Sea bag murder

Matt Weinstock

Posted on July 11, 2007 by lmharnisch

July 11, 1957 There was a traffic tie-up at the Harbor turnoff the other day as Inspectors Ed Walker and Bob Houghton were traveling inbound on the Hollywood Freeway. They threaded their way through it and came upon a woman … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Downtown, LAPD, Matt Weinstock, Sports, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock

Bar brawl

Posted on July 11, 2007 by lmharnisch

  July 10-11, 1957Los Angeles There isn’t much in doubt about what happened that night in NorthHollywood; the only mystery comes much later. That night, Frank “Puggy”Sica, 40, and Salvatore Di Giovanni, 39, were having a few drinks withRonnie Kopp … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Bar brawl

Literary diversions

Posted on July 7, 2007 by lmharnisch

Detective Sgt. Joe Wambaugh gets in trouble for writing a book. Nov. 18, 1970. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Posted in books, Downtown, LAPD | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Literary diversions

Gail Russell–in memoriam

Posted on July 5, 2007 by lmharnisch

Photographs by the Los Angeles Times Sgt. C.H. Specht examines damage to Jan’s Restaurant, 8424 Beverly Blvd., caused by Gail Russell’s convertible.  Below right, Russell fails a test for intoxication administered by Specht. July 6, 1957 Los Angeles You poor … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Cemeteries, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Faith journey

Posted on July 2, 2007 by lmharnisch

  July 2, 1957 Los Angeles I wonder what the preacher told worshipers at Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in Miami about his faith journey. Did he talk about his years with the San Diego Chargers and the Chicago Bears? … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, LAPD, Religion, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Faith journey

Prowler terrorizes L.A.

Posted on July 1, 2007 by lmharnisch

  July 1, 1957 Los Angeles Detective Sgts. W.R. "Bud" Schottmiller and J.B. Close of the Hollywood Division have little to go on after a prowler broke into an apartment to rape a young woman somewhere on Irving Boulevard (the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood, Hollywood Division, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Prowler terrorizes L.A.

Paul V. Coates–Confidential File

Posted on June 24, 2007 by lmharnisch

June 24, 1957 SUBJECT’S NAME: Delbert Wilson Miller. SUBJECT’S DESCRIPTION: Age, 60. Height, 5 feet, 10 inches. Weight, 155 pounds. Bald, rim of gray hair. Glass right eye. Tattoo: "IRMA-DELL" upper right arm. Tattoo of swastika on left forearm. Any … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Downtown, LAPD, Paul Coates | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Dead end

Posted on June 24, 2007 by lmharnisch

  June 24, 1957 Los Angeles Police Capt. Walter R. Koenig was out walking his dog in the 5500 block of Green Oak Drive, where it dead ends in the Hollywood Hills, when he found Baby Boy Doe.  He was … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood, Hollywood Division, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Dead end

Refugees

Posted on June 23, 2007 by lmharnisch

June 23, 1957 Pasadena John, 42, runs a health food store on North Lake Street in Pasadena and lives at 861 Elizabeth St., The Times says in a feature story. Born in Holland, he is like many Europeans who came … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide, LAPD, RFK | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Melchior robbers caught

Posted on June 22, 2007 by lmharnisch

June 22, 1957 Los Angeles  Wayne Burke, Richard McFall and Alfred J. Pope fled into the night in what they thought was a clean getaway. McFall said: “Burke and I got in my car and J. [Pope] took furs and … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1957, LAPD, Robberies, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

William Parker, Part 5

Posted on June 21, 2007 by lmharnisch

  June 21, 1957Los Angeles William Parker, below left, and Jack Webb. Note that Parker says he would have never given permission for "Dragnet," which was initially approved in the Clemence "C.B." Horrall administration. On July 16, 1966, Parker suffered … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Downtown, LAPD | Tagged , , | Comments Off on William Parker, Part 5

Battling movie stars

Posted on June 20, 2007 by lmharnisch

  June 20, 1957 Los Angeles For battling Hollywood celebrities, it’s hard to surpass Shelley Winters and Anthony Franciosa. They were only married a few years, but they made up for it in brawls between themselves, other actors (like Ava … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Downtown, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Battling movie stars

William Parker, Part 4

Posted on June 20, 2007 by lmharnisch

June 20, 1957Los Angeles Classic moments in Los Angeles history: The Sammy Rummel shooting, the "two Tonys murder" and "Bloody Christmas." Part 1 Part 2

Posted in #courts, Downtown, LAPD | Tagged , , | 1 Comment