Michael’s Exclusive Haberdashery

The unassuming streamline-moderne building at 8804 Sunset began as a nightclub. In 1935 it was the Three Star Club and raided for selling liquor after hours. By the spring 1937 through spring 1939, it was “Bali,” a tropical-themed café-nightspot popular with the Hollywood film crowd, who crammed in to hear its featured singer, Bruz Fletcher (B. Stoughton Fletcher). In 1941-1942 it was Club Society and raided a couple of times for liquor violations.

8804 Sunset Blvd as Bali nightclub, 1938

8804 Sunset Blvd as Bali

In 1947 the space was converted to retail shops and 8804 would soon gain notoriety as Michael’s Exclusive Haberdashery, a front for diminutive local gangster Mickey Cohen. It was here that Cohen’s henchman, Harry “Hooky” Rothman was shot to death on August 20, 1948 in a supposed assassination attempt ostensibly meant for Cohen himself. Cohen made a big show of putting the property up for lease, but he was still there as of November 1949 when he told the press he had to liquidate its assets to cover the forfeited bail he’d put up for two other henchmen, Frank Niccoli and Dave Ogul, who mysteriously went missing. From December 1949 to January 1950 Cohen held a huge, well-advertised “liquidation sale” on the premises, and in April 1950 held another auction of his personal property here before departing for good.

View of 8804 Sunset c. 1947 when gangster Mickey Cohen operated his haberdashery “Michael’s” here. Utter-McKinley Mortuary (8814 Sunset) can be seen mid-block. Bublichki Russian restaurant (8846 Sunset) is further up, near the rooftop billboard advertising frozen Split Pea Soup from the Buellton-based Andersen’s restaurant, a product introduced in the fall of 1946.

Ad introducing Anderson’s frozen split pea soup, as later seen on a certain Sunset Strip billboard.

“Mickey Cohen Sells Out (the WORLD’S FINEST men’s wear)” Cohen’s Michael’s Exclusive Haberdashery, 8804 Sunset Blvd., clearance sale ad, December 1949.