Saturday, June 18, 2005

Son Says His Father sired Wife's Children

June 18, 1947
El Monte

After ten years, Lester Jean Burnett is tired of the lies. In 1937, aged 18, he acted as a beard for his father Lester Senior, then 36, and Angelina Pizzuto, then 17, whose parents objected to their February-July romance.

Angelina and Lester Junior were wed, but it was Lester Senior who set up house with the girl. Angelina’s children Lester Bryan, 8, and Rose, 6, are supported by and informally acknowledged as the children of the older man. However, on their birth certificates, Lester Junior is named father.

In December 1942, all parties convened in Reno, where Angelina and Lester Junior divorced; Angelina and Lester Senior were married the same day.

Lester Junior entered Superior Court today seeking an official ruling that the two children are not his.

Lester Senior, a refrigeration engineer, resides at 2135 Iola Ave., El Monte, with Angelina and the kids.

2 comments:

notarysojack said...

Actor Jon Hall Admits Hoax;
Wasn’t in Shot-down Plane


Actor Jon Hall admitted yes-
terday that he and his wife,
Vocalist Frances Langford, were
not in the four-place amphibian
that was shot down at Clover
Field last Sunday.

Confronted with evidence that
Pilot Bill Horner was flying
alone when a bullet hit the pro-
peller and forced the ship into
an emergency landing, Hall at
first attempted to pin the blame
on “someone who has been im-
personating me on the telephone.”

+ + +

The day before, The Times reported a curious incident in which a bullet tore into the propeller of the plane shortly after it took off for Tulare, Calif., and had reached an altitude of 600 feet.

Police detained 14-year-old Ronald A. Husner, 3468 Greenwood Ave. in Mar Vista, who admitted being in the area shooting rabbits, but said he wouldn’t have been able to hit the plane with his .22-caliber rifle.

But it was all a hoax. Judging by his IMDB entry, Hall had perhaps one big movie to his credit—“Hurricane”—quite a few B-pictures (“Cobra Woman,” “Zamba” and “Thunder Over Sangoland”) and an incredible talent for getting into trouble.

About that nose-slicing scene in “Chinatown.” It actually happened to Hall on Aug. 5, 1944, at the apartment of Tommy Dorsey, when the bandleader, and Allen (frequently spelled Allan) Smiley allegedly ganged up on Hall—apparently for paying “undue attention” to Dorsey’s wife, Pat Dane. Testifying Nov. 30, 1944, while wearing a plastic nosepiece, Hall said his left nostril was sliced through during the fight at 1220 Sunset Plaza Drive.

It was a complicated case involving liquor, famous people and the specter of bad publicity that none of them could afford. When Hall declined to press charges, the Los Angeles County Grand Jury began an investigation. Dorsey, Dane and Smiley were indicted, but the case was dismissed Dec. 7, 1944, primarily because of weak testimony for the prosecution and the presence of Jerry Giesler for the defense.

Tommy Dorsey died in 1956. Jon Hall committed suicide in 1979. Pat Dane died in 1995. Frances Langford is alive and 91.

Later in June 1947, Allen Smiley will be sitting in the Beverly Hills living room of a certain Las Vegas executive. Reading the paper. With the drapes open. The neighbors—Mr. and Mrs. Belousoff—have an high latticework trellis that is perfect for resting a .30-caliber carbine.

www.lmharnisch.com

Trish said...

You can imagine my surprise when I saw the story of "Son Says His Father sired Wife's Children"

Angelina Pizzuto was the daughter of my grandmother's last husband Demetrio Pizzuto from his first marriage.

You never know what you are going to find out on the internet! LOL