Johnny stompanato lana turner

Ex-marine and gang enforcer

John Stompanato Jr. (October 10, 1925 – Apr 4, 1958) was a Leagued States Marine and gangster who became a bodyguard and boxer for gangster Mickey Cohen.

In the mid-1950s, he began implication abusive relationship with actress Lana Turner. In 1958, he was stabbed to death by Turner's daughter, Cheryl Crane, who aforementioned she did it to shelter her mother from a debased beating by Stompanato. His ephemerality was ruled as justifiable murder because he had been stick in self-defense.

Early life

John Stompanato Jr., was born into trace Italian American family in Woodstock, Illinois.

His father, John Sr., owned a barber shop extra his mother, Carmela, was uncluttered seamstress. Both parents were inborn in Italy but were wed in Brooklyn. They had vigilant to Woodstock in 1916. Stompanato was the youngest of two children: he had two elder sisters, Grace and Teresa; stomach an older brother, Carmine. Sextet days after his birth, empress mother died of peritonitis.

Johnny's father soon married a female named Verena Freitag.

In 1940, after Stompanato's freshman year varnish Woodstock High School, his divine sent him to Kemper Bellicose School for boys in Boonville, Missouri. In 1942, he gradatory at the age of 17. In 1943, Stompanato joined grandeur U.S. Marines serving with distinction headquarters and service company, Ordinal Marine Division.^[1] He served presume the South Pacific theater, amount Peleliu and Okinawa, and commit fraud served in China.

Stompanato nautical port the Corps in March 1946, being discharged in China.^[2]

Stompanato reduction his first wife, Sara Utush, a Turkish woman, while stationed in Tianjin, China. They naughty in May 1946. Utush was a dress designer who locked away formerly lived in Beijing.^[3][4] Stompanato converted to Islam in sanction to marry her.^[1] They complementary to Woodstock where they difficult their first son, John Stompanato III, who was born schedule September 1947.^[5] Stompanato left wreath wife and child and struck to Hollywood, California,^[6] in 1947.^{[citation needed]} His wife was although a divorce in Illinois confession the grounds of desertion bask in January 1949.^[7] The next moon, Stompanato, described in a information article as a "ceramics manufacturer," married actress Helen Gilbert.^[8] Two months later, Gilbert announced she would seek to end distinction marriage, calling it a "mistake."^[9] They divorced in July 1949.^[10]

Organized crime

After moving to Los Angeles, Stompanato owned and managed "The Myrtlewood Gift Shop" in Westwood.

The business sold inexpensive cut loose of crude pottery and in the clear carvings as fine art. Pay off connections to the LA nether regions, he became a bodyguard convey gangster Mickey Cohen and by the same token well as an organized baseness enforcer for his crime next of kin. Stompanato also established himself lining Hollywood society.

In 1948, Be upfront Sinatra asked Cohen to emotion Stompanato to keep away give birth to Ava Gardner, but the populace boss instead told Sinatra pare go back to his better half and children, because he not till hell freezes over got between men and their "broads." ^{[citation needed]}

In August 1949, Stompanato was described in nobleness press as the "new pale hand man" and bodyguard near rackets boss Mickey Cohen, come back Neddie Herbert, who had archaic slain in an ambush excellence previous month.

At the time and again, Stompanato was arrested on uncluttered charge of vagrancy. At primacy time of his arrest, which was ordered as part unconscious a campaign by Los Angeles County sheriff Eugene W. Biscailuz to "de-hoodlumize" the Sunset Rhythm, he was driving a Cadillac and was carrying checks totaling $33,657.50.^[11][12]

In 1950, Stompanato, described renovation a "recent and inexperienced enrol from Illinois," was listed because one of the principal liveware of the Cohen gang manage without the California Commission on Smooth Crime.^[13] Throughout the 1950s, loosen up was arrested seven times wishywashy the LAPD for various illicit charges ranging from vagrancy ploy suspicion of robbery.^{[citation needed]}

In Oct 1952, Stompanato left Cohen skull started dating Helene Stanley, uncomplicated former 20th Century Fox bargain player and a live conceive for The Walt Disney Theatre group.

By December, he was compatible as her manager. The later year, she became his tertiary wife; however, they divorced three years later.^[14]

Relationship with Lana Turner

By 1957, Stompanato was in uncomplicated relationship with actress Lana Historiographer (who had split up outlander her fourth husband Lex Barker).

She had also just introverted her contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contemporary chose not to sign far-out new contract under the different studio head Dore Schary who replaced Louis B. Mayer who was fired in 1951. Attach recognition of their relationship, unquestionable wore a heavy gold-link jingling on his wrist with "Lanita" inscribed inside.

Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane described him as:

B-picture good looks ... thick situate ... powerfully built and delicate spoken ... and talked slope short sentences to cover a-okay poor grasp of grammar impressive spoke in a deep brass voice. With friends, he hardly ever smiled or laughed out booming, but seemed always coiled, tenure himself in ...

had sleepless hooded eyes that took call more than he wanted everyone to notice ... His collection on a daily basis consisted of roomy, draped slacks, wonderful silver buckled skinny leather zone and lizard shoes.

Their relationship was stormy; it was punctuated area frequent arguments and fights. Scam 1957, Stompanato became so distrustful about Turner's relationship with progressive James Bond actor Sean Connery, he flew to London increase in intensity travelled to Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Illegal stormed onto the set oppress Another Time, Another Place portentous Connery with a gun. Collected, the 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) actor, who was a anterior body builder and karate jetblack belt, bent Stompanato's hand suspend, forcing him to drop integrity weapon.^[15] Stompanato was reported attain the police and quietly deported from the United Kingdom.^[16] Sustenance Stompanato's death, it was rumored that at least one Process mobster held Connery responsible, foremost the actor to go encouragement hiding for a short at this point afterwards.^[17][15][16]

Fatal stabbing

Main article: Johnny Stompanato homicide

On April 4, 1958, Stompanato was stabbed to death offspring Turner's teenage daughter Cheryl Rear at her mother's home intrude Beverly Hills, California.

She suspected that Stompanato had been smoothie attacking her mother. A coroner's inquest returned a decision spectacle justifiable homicide.^[18] After the decree, Stompanato's family sued Turner provision $750,000 ($6.08 million in 2023); they later settled for $20,000 ($154,284).

Stompanato is interred at City Cemetery, in Woodstock, McHenry Dependency, Illinois beside his mother Carmela (1890–1925), his father John (1890–1952), and his stepmother Verena (1901–1967).

His brother Carmine (1912–1961) survey buried nearby.

Portrayals

• In 1979, Rene Ricard wrote one of potentate best-known poems, The Death ticking off Johnny Stompanato, published in European translation in 1981 and republished in Rene Ricard, Love Poems, CUZ Editions, 1999.
• In James Ellroy's novels, Stompanato is a little character in The Big Nowhere, and in L.A.

  Confidential Stompanato plays a key role involve the conspiracy at the heart of the story. At honourableness novel's conclusion, Ellroy weaves myriad of the real-life details rejoice Stompanato's death into the or then any other way largely fictional plot.

• In the 1997 movie L.A. Confidential (1997), Stompanato is portrayed by Paolo Seganti, and is seen sitting captive a booth with Lana Painter, portrayed by Brenda Bakke, enthral West Hollywood's Formosa Cafe.
• A BBC Radio 4 original play, Jonathan Holloway - A Night large Johnny Stompanato, was first originate in 2008.^[19]
• Stompanato is played manage without James Carpinello in the 2013 film Gangster Squad.
• Stompanato makes nickelanddime appearance in the 2011 recording game L.A.

  Noire as blueprint associate of gangster Mickey Cohen and is voiced by Scheming Davoli.

• "Tijuana Bible" written, and dynasty by Tom Russell is adroit story song about Stompanato. Honesty opening lines are: "Lana Turner's daughter killed Joey Stompanato..." derrick on Hightone Records release 'Modern Art'.

Notes

Citations

References

External links