Men returning from war service found that while styles hadn’t changed much, their bodies had. Continue reading
Postwar
The Housing Shortage
During the war, they dreamed of home. Now that it was over, many returning veterans found that trying to get a home was a more like a nightmare.
Howard Hughes
The famous millionaire oil man/aviator/filmmaker was much in the news in 1946.
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Paulie Gibbons, George Levinson and the Meatball
The story of Paulie Gibbons’ life typically begins with his death– on the streets of Beverly Hills on May 3, 1946– punctuated by an “amusing” anecdote about his funeral. But Gibbons’ had a long criminal career in Los Angeles dating back to his youth in the bootleg era.
How the Housing Crisis Brought Down the Gambling Ships
Gambling ships began operating off the Southern California coast regularly in the late 1920s. Local, county, state, and federal authorities tried various means to get them shut down, even dredging up 18th century piracy laws, without any real lasting effect. Earl Warren, as California A.G., successfully raided and closed the last four ships in 1939 and World War II put a damper on any new such ventures starting up. But there was still no state or federal statute outlawing them. Everyone may have thought the era of gambling ships had passed. Everyone except Tony Cornero.
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Off to the Races
Racing returned to Del Mar for the 1946 season, but without its founding father Bing Crosby.
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J. H. Graham 