History of 8004 Sunset Blvd
HISTORY OF 8004 SUNSET STRIP
This little stretch of property located at 8004 Sunset Strip includes the corner of Palm Drive and Holloway. In 1932 it was a hair salon that specialized in finger waves for 75 cents. 
Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, July 21, 1932
During the mid 1930s and mid 1940s, this property had three club incarnations just across the way from Simon's Drive in: It was originally CLUB BALI from 1935 until 1941 owned by Ickie Outhwaite which was fined and raided for providing illegal gambling and slot machines. Then it became CLUB SOCIETY (which was forced to close after getting caught serving liquor after 2am) and finally The THREE STAR CLUB.
The Society Club located at 8004 Sunset Blvd, 1930s
There was also a popular voice studio in the same structure from 1934 until 1947 owned by Major Herbert Hall.
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The Utter-McKinley Mortuary offered a 24-hour service. Located where Book Soup is today.
Harold "Hooky" Rothman, also known as Harry Rothman, was a Jewish mobster and mob enforcer who was the right-hand man of Los Angeles kingpin Mickey Cohen during "The Battle of Sunset Strip" for the control of illegal activities in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
In the 1950s and early 1960s 8804 Sunset Blvd was another mens clothing store called MAN ABOUT TOWN & and then a wig shop called THE HARUM. Notice that the ad for MAN ABOUT TOWN mentions they were one block away from the Jerry Lewis Restaurant (which later became the Classic Cat Strip Club, University Stereo, and Tower Video. That building hung on until it was was demolished in 2014 for a new Chase Bank building).
Photo taken by Ed Ruscha in 1966. Source 12 Sunsets.
During the late 60s it became the PSYCHEDELIC CONSPIRACY and a neighboring store called SIMBA. (The CORNER POCKET Pool Hall was still located next store). The PSYCHEDELIC CONSPIRACY was the most impressive and genuinely psychedelic of all the shops in Los Angeles. The dazzling effect of the store was achieved by a silver ceiling that reflected light from a complicated deployment of colored lamps above, below and inside some large translucent plastic sculptures made by the then-owner of the shop, Tony Melendy. People would have to adjust his their eyes to the lights & their and sinuses to the thick haze of incense.
Today it’s the IAC Building, which kinda looks like a giant Chia Pet.
Alison Martino is a writer, television producer, and pop culture historian. She founded the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles in 2010. Alison muses on L.A’s. past and present on Twitter and Instagram
-=Inside Cafe Society at 8004 Sunset Blvd. before a police raid in 1941. Photo: LAPL.org
Simon's Drive-In was located across the way at Sunset & Horn. Decades later this property would become Muntz Stereo and Tower Records
In 1947, L.A. gangster Mickey Cohen acquired 8004 Sunset Strip. He built a new building and funded three legit businesses in the building’s street-level storefronts including COURTLEY JEWELERS and a swank men's store called MICHAEL'S EXCLUSIVE HABERDASHERY. Many believe these were just fronts for his bookie empire. The building was often referred to as Mickey Cohen Headquarters. It was during this time the address changed to 8804 Sunset Blvd.
Cohen was targeted by his enemies several times on Sunset Strip. The first attack came in August 1948 at 10:30 pm when a gunmen entered COURTLEY JEWELERS and opened fire. Luckily for Cohen, (who was an intense germaphobic), he happened to be in the mens room washing his hands during the ambush. Cohen's bodyguard, "Hooky" Rothman, was not so lucky. He was found on the ground in front of the building with his head blown off. Ironically there was a mortuary next door (where Book Soup is today). I guess that made things somewhat convenient.
Harold "Hooky" Rothman, also known as Harry Rothman, was a Jewish mobster and mob enforcer who was the right-hand man of Los Angeles kingpin Mickey Cohen during "The Battle of Sunset Strip" for the control of illegal activities in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
It was no secret those bullets were also meant for Cohen. During the investigation, the LAPD originally thought it was a random jewelry heist gone wrong, but Cohen revealed his sentiments in court by saying, "that was no holdup gone wrong, they were coming for me".
The boys told all they said they knew about the shooting of Harry "Hooky" Rothman, at a Coroner's inquest. After due deliberation, the jury solemnly decided--with appropriate expert advice-that "Hooky's" demise was homicide, perpetuated by a person or persons unknown.
Cohen sold off the property the following year after admitting he needed to raise a $50.000 bond for one of his henchmen awaiting trial on conspiracy and negotiated a quick sale of his haberdashery.
Mickey Cohen calls it QUITS at his Haberdashery in 1949.
In the 1950s and early 1960s 8804 Sunset Blvd was another mens clothing store called MAN ABOUT TOWN & and then a wig shop called THE HARUM. Notice that the ad for MAN ABOUT TOWN mentions they were one block away from the Jerry Lewis Restaurant (which later became the Classic Cat Strip Club, University Stereo, and Tower Video. That building hung on until it was was demolished in 2014 for a new Chase Bank building).
In 1965 a pool hall called the CORNER POCKET and a boutique called the CLOTHES LINE and the jewelry store called the GOLDEN EARRING occupied this stretch.
Photos taken by Frank Zinn (Vintage Los Angeles Archives)
Inside the Psychedelic Conspiracy. Vintage Los Angeles Archives
Inside the Corner Pocket
Screen grab from "I Love You Alice B. Toklas" released in 1968
In 1985 all the original store fronts were taken down to build offices for Carolco Pictures and various other offices.
The address then became 8800. Jose Menendez was working for Carolco Pictures when his two sons, Lyle & Erik Menendez murdered him and his wife Kitty in 1989. I graduated BBH with Eric in 1989, and that entire story is still so horrific 30 years later.
Photo of Carolco Pictures was taken just one year before Jose and Kitty Menendez were murdered by their two sons, Erik and Lyle.
Today it’s the IAC Building, which kinda looks like a giant Chia Pet.
All of this could have been straight out of a Quinn Martin episode!
What a fascinating bit of info. I would have loved to have experienced The Psychedlic Conspiracy firsthand!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad other people dig stuff like this. I would love to have actual memories of these cool places but these stories are the next best thing I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting. Thanks for the detective work.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! Thanks for this! When I worked across at Tower Records across the street in 1987 I always wondered what the history was here. So cool! and it DOES look like a Chia Pet! I guess this was the location where Warren Zevon's father, William "Stumpy" Zevon (originally Zivotovsky) helped Cohen run his bookie and dice business. He was Mickey's best man at his first wedding!
ReplyDeleteFascinating !
ReplyDeleteAwesome article.
ReplyDeleteFascinating post as usual!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison! Fantastic job as always on a fascinating address!
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific spot to uncover so much LA history. You are doing god's work here. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff Alison, thank you for showing this to us! I yearn for the "Corner Pocket / Conspiracy" era ... when L.A. was far seedier.
ReplyDeleteThx so much- you are an excellent and entertaining historian.
ReplyDeleteI love history as a rule and your articles really pull me in. It's hard to believe that you went to highschool with one of the Menendez brothers. Holy smoke.
ReplyDeleteThe Carolco Building had an A-list VHS rental store on the ground floor at its NE corner in the 1980s: Videothèque
ReplyDeletewould Love to have seen the building inside and out when it was "Club Society Inc." in the 1930s.
ReplyDelete1972/73 I worked in the corner pocket when did it become Jay Turners liquor store. Sidenote : Where was Ted Healy
ReplyDeleteOf 3 Stooges fame beat to death on public sidewalk ? Gruesome but historically true.
I worked at the conspiracy in 1968-1970. It was owned by Richard and Barbara Morgan. It was the place to be at the time. Packed every night, Lights flashing, music blasting. Doors were playing at the whiskey a go go. A real adventure.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the psychadelic conspiracy from 1968-1970. It was owned by Richard and Barbara Morgan. Packed every night. Light flashing, music blasting. The blacklight room was very popular. Doors were playing at the Whiskey. My name is Kim Chapman
ReplyDeleteMy mom was in LA in 77 and met my dad at the Corner Pocket where he worked,she left before he knew she was pregnant with me and came back to NJ. I never met him but always wanted to, Paul Riley I think his name was my mom is Dolores or "Dee Dee". If anyone has any information about him or the corner pocket back then I'd love to know as I'm Jennifer LaBove.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, Alison. I work at Book Soup, and am pretty sure that the mortuary was to the east of our building, where the former Carolco building is now. Our building was named after a vaudeville actress (you can see her name on the front, in the Ruscha photographs.) Between the Soup building and the former mortuary building, there was a little space that was briefly a 16MM cinematheque, eventually (of course) a porn theatre and then Soup's original News Mews (until we had to give it up for the latest loser restaurant to die there lol.) IMO it's a "cursed space" as they say in the restaurant world: earlier casualties included Chaya and Book Soup Bistro. Love reading the comments on the site, brilliant :)
ReplyDelete