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Writer's pictureThe O'Hara Group

[In]famous Homes in Los Angeles: Murder, Movies, Bankruptcy & Billionaires

Los Angeles, renowned for its glitz and glam, harbors an intriguing history within its vast neighborhoods that goes beyond the allure of Hollywood. The many properties of the city hold tales and secrets that are only available to the public eye once in a while, when these properties trade hands or go up for sale on the open market. So we're taking a peek into a few of the most notorious LA properties in all their glory.


1. The Menendez Mansion

Sold for $17,000,000 in March 2024



Venture into the tragic tale surrounding the Menendez family and their sprawling Beverly Hills estate, a story that captivated the nation with its blend of wealth, privilege, and unspeakable violence. The opulent mansion, a grandiose symbol of success and luxury, stood as a stark contrast to the dark events that unfolded within its walls. It was here that the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, committed a brutal and shocking crime that shattered the facade of their picture-perfect family life.


The murder of their parents sent shockwaves through the community and beyond, as the details of the crime slowly emerged, revealing a complex web of deceit, abuse, and deep-seated resentment. The brothers' actions not only ended the lives of their mother and father but also laid bare a series of long-held secrets and simmering tensions that had been festering beneath the surface for years.




As the trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez unfolded, the public was drawn into a gripping courtroom drama that exposed the inner workings of a family torn apart by greed, jealousy, and a desperate quest for control. The case sparked intense debate and speculation, with many questioning the true motivations behind the brothers' actions and the extent to which they were driven by a desire for revenge or self-preservation.


Ultimately, the tragic tale of the Menendez family and their Beverly Hills estate serves as a haunting reminder of the fragility of outward appearances and the devastating consequences of unchecked emotions and unresolved trauma. The once-glamorous mansion now stands as a somber reminder of the darkness that can lurk behind even the most glittering facade, a cautionary tale of the destructive power of unresolved family dynamics and the tragic consequences that can result from a toxic combination of wealth, privilege, and unchecked emotions.


2. The Playboy Mansion

Sold for $100,000,000 in 2016



Step beyond the gilded gates of the infamous Playboy Mansion, nestled in the heart of Holmby Hills, and you are transported into a world unlike any other. This renowned residence, once the home of the legendary Hugh Hefner, stands as a symbol of opulence and extravagance. Beyond its grand exterior lies a history rich with intrigue and allure, drawing in the elite and the curious alike.


Purchased by Hefner for just over $1 million in 1971, the Playboy Mansion was not just a house; it was a cultural phenomenon. It served as a backdrop for lavish parties, exclusive events, and scandalous tales that captured the imagination of people worldwide. The allure of the mansion extended far beyond its physical walls, becoming a symbol of a lifestyle that many could only dream of.



New owner Daren Metropolous, known as the “Twinkie King” as he was the former co-owner of Hostess Brands, has been renovating the mansion since Hefner's death in 2017. Some of the work being done on the home, where the popular TV show “The Girls Next Door” was filmed, includes constructing a 4,400 addition to the main house. When it’s finished, the main house alone will be 18,000 square feet.

Metropoulos is also having a new basement under the mansion constructed, building a new guesthouse, and adding a golf simulator and a solarium to the property. The in-house movie theater is getting larger.

The main house is also undergoing renovations with planned kitchen, bathroom, and family room remodels and an updated guest suite on the second floor.


3. Marilyn Monroe's House

Sold for $8,400,000 in 2023



On the tranquil streets of Brentwood in West Los Angeles, you'll find the bittersweet legacy of Marilyn Monroe. Step into her modest home, a place where history and tragedy intertwine, and where the echoes of her unforgettable rendition of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" at John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday gala still linger in the air. As you wander through the rooms where she spent the final months of her life, you can't help but feel the weight of her enigmatic presence, a reminder of the complexities that defined this iconic starlet.



The new owners of the historic property, who own the roughly 6,000-square-foot mansion immediately next door, for which they paid $8.2 million back in 2016, would like to link the two properties together to create one large compound. But in January 2024, after ample appeal by preservationists, the Monroe residence scored a reprieve when the L.A. city council unanimously voted to consider the house for historic preservation, prompting the building department to revoke the couple’s demolition.


4. The Scarface Mansion

Listed for $39,995,000



The estate’s name is El Fureidis, but in Hollywood history, the 11,547-square-foot mansion will always be known as the place where Al Pacino’s character, Tony Montana, meets his violent end in Oliver Stone’s 1983 film “Scarface.”


According to the property listing, Al Pacino isn’t the only star who has walked through the elegant hallways of El Fueirdis, which means “Tropical Paradise.” President John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, and Winston Churchill all, at one point, “spent time” at the estate.



The roughly 10-acre property includes a four-bedroom mansion designed in the early 1900s by architect Bertram Goodhue for wealthy New Yorker James Waldron Gillespie, The Wall Street Journal has reported. It incorporates Roman and Middle Eastern influences, including a Byzantine-style “conversation room” with a fountain and a high-domed ceiling. A dining room has a barreled ceiling painted in 24-karat gold leaf and depicting a scene of Alexander the Great conquering Persepolis. There is also a roof deck with views of the Pacific Ocean and the Channel Islands, as well as two guest cottages with an additional three bedrooms.


5. The Hearst Estate

Sold for $63,100,000 in 2021



The California estate that was once home to newspaper scion William Randolph Hearst sold for $63.1 million in 2021 to billionaire investor Nicolas Berggruen in an auction, a small fraction of the once list price of $195 million. Berggruen beat out five other bidders in a bankruptcy auction at a courthouse in Los Angeles, winning the 29,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion for about $15 million more than its asking price of $48 million, according to listing agent Anthony Marguleas of Amalfi Estates.


“It’s one of the most historically significant properties in Los Angeles,” he said, noting not only the Hearst connection, but also the fact that in 1953, future president John F. Kennedy honeymooned there with Jacqueline Kennedy.



The Hearst Estate, previously known as Beverly House, dates to 1926. Architect Gordon Kaufmann, whose work includes the Los Angeles Times building and the Hoover Dam, designed the mansion, where Hearst lived with actress Marion Davies. She stayed in the estate after the 1951 death of the newspaper publisher, who founded the media giant Hearst Communications.


Amenities of the estate include a nine-bedroom main house with a 22-foot, hand-painted ceiling, a two-story, wood-clad library, an art-deco nightclub and entertaining areas for up to 1,000 guests, according to the listing. There’s also a five-bedroom guest house, staff apartments and a tennis pavilion.



 

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