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Mickey Cohen's Cadillac

Would you like to see another picture of Mickey Cohen with one of his Cadillacs? Of course you would! This one is a bit mysterious. This is the Cadillac that took a few shots in 1949 outside Sherry's on the Sunset Strip, but the picture is dated Oct. 30, 1950, which is after The Times took photos of his new bulletproof Cadillac.

Mickey_cohen_1950_1030_bruce_cox
Photograph by Bruce Cox / Los Angeles Times

Here's another mystery: What's the deal with Cohen campaigning for Fletcher Bowron? It would seem to me that if you're running in a recall election (as Mayor Bowron was), you wouldn't want to be endorsed by the city's most prominent mobster. There's no telling what role Cohen's support might have had, but Bowron defeated the recall.

And why is Cohen driving his old, ventilated car when there's a nice, shiny bulletproof Cadillac in the garage? It seems Mickey neglected to get a permit from the California Highway Patrol to drive an armored conveyance. Oops! He ended up selling his $17,000 ($137,564. 58 USD 2006) bulletproof car at a $5,000 loss to the Texas Stock Car Racing Assn., which put it on tour.

 

Mickey_cohen_poster02_3
 

While I'm at it, here's an undated photo of Mickey Cohen, compulsive hand washer, at his favorite pastime.

 

Mickey_cohen_no_date_lat02
Los Angeles Times photo

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Larry Harnisch

Larry Harnisch. The leading Black Dahlia expert and a collaborator in the 1947project, Harnisch has been a copy editor at The Times since 1988. He has appeared on many TV shows discussing the Dahlia case, notably "James Ellroy's Feast of Death."

Join him for a spin through old Los Angeles in the Mirror's radio car. Keep your eyes open for Mickey Cohen and Tempest Storm. It's quite a ride.

The reporter's badge belonged to Sid Hughes (1908-1958), legendary reporter who worked at nearly every newspaper in Los Angeles.


Keith Thursby. Keith has been an editor at The Times in news, sports and design since 1986. The Rams moved to St. Louis on his first day as assistant sports editor of the paper's Orange County edition. He grew up in Norwalk and lives in Irvine.








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