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As the New York Yankees are about to begin the MBL World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies (The New Jersey Turnpike series!) here is the sad tale of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and one of the greatest Yankees, or ballplayers, for that matter, the Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio or the day Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio raided the wrong apartment. The tale goes like this; the greatest voice coach in Los Angeles, Fred Karger was coach to several famous actresses including Marily Monroe. Marilyn Monroe got along VERY well with Fred Karger and the two struck-up a romance.
There was only one problem with the Marily Monroe/Fred Karger romance. Marily Monroe was married to one of the greatest center fielders ever to play the game of baseball, Joe DiMaggio. In order to hide the affair from her famous husband, Marilyn Monroe reached-out to her fellow student in voice class Sheila Renour, who offered her modest apartment periodically. By using the home Marilyn Monroe could enjoy her trysts out of the public eye and behind the back of her husband Joe DiMaggio. Or so she thought.
Half a century ago in Los Angeles, much like today, a celebrity cannot keep the juicy details of their personal life a secret. It was not long until 'Jiltin Joe' got wind of his wife's infidelities and Joe DiMaggio did not take the news well. Joe DiMaggio hired a private detective to follow his wife, the infamous Barney Ruditsky. Barney Ruditsky was known for having connections among the LAPD and less savory characters. It was Barney Ruditsky that hired off-duty LAPD officer Phil Irwin to watch the modest apartment.
But this is not why the apartment is famous. The modest apartment on Waring is famous because it was actually a duplex. a tenant lived upstairs and the owner, Florence Kotz Ross downstairs. Mrs. Ross, a quiet, elderly lady who appreciated the peace and quiet of the neighborhood. When Joe DiMaggio received confirmation from his private detective that his wife, Marilyn Monroe was at the apartment on Waring, he assembled a raiding party to storm the love nest and catch his wife 'in the act'. Joe DiMaggio called-in private dick, Barney Ruditsky and associates as well as his close friend, a crooner from New Jersey. Joe DiMaggio led the charge into the apartment wielding an ax and followed by a column of menacing characters.
As the door crashed, you could hear a woman scream in terror! The woman screaming was Florence Kotz Ross in the downstairs apartment. Joe DiMaggio had received true but flawed intelligence. His wife was in-fact cuckolding him with her voice coach but what the detectives failed to realize was that Marilyn Monroe was in the upstairs apartment. When the raiding party broke-down the door of the ground floor apartment, Marilyn Monroe and her lover and were able to escape discovery and flee the upstairs apartment. Joe DiMaggio's raiding party failed to catch Marilyn Monroe 'in the act'. (There were no weapons of mass deception found.) Joe DiMaggio's raiding party had raided the wrong door.
When police arrived they interviewed the witness and victim, Florence Kotz Ross. The police noted in their report that the suspects bore a very close resemblance to Joe DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra. Evidence of the trespass was presented to a Los Angeles grand jury. Apparently Angelenos of the day loved Joe DiMaggio too much and frowned upon infidelity because no order to show probably cause for a crime was found by the grand jury. In other words, Joe DiMaggio would not face charges. A subsequent civil trial however, resulted in a cash settlement for Florence Kotz Ross and the event became a part of Los Angeles celebrity history.
PHOTO: Frank at Dodger Stadium (AP)
Also read: Big-Band-salutes-New-York-Yankees-Joe-DiMaggio
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