Sunday, August 08, 2004
The Wonderland Avenue "Four On The Floor Murders":
There's a certain irony to John Holmes birthday. Right around his 25th - August 8th, 1969 - was when, according to what records are available, he began his career as a porn 'actor'. It was also the date of the infamous Manson murders, when members of the scruffy, Mephistophelean guru Charles Manson's "family" entered the Sharon Tate/Roman Polanski estate in Benedict Canyon and savagely killed five people in ritualistic fashion (six, including Sharon's unborn child, who was well into her 3rd trimester). You'll soon see how creepy this connection really is. Piece & Love, yeah.
For the most part, the 1970's were John Holmes decade. Blessed with a virtually elephantine penis, this asset made him the most in-demand male star on the emerging porn film circuit. He took on the 'stage' name of 'Johnny Wadd'. From all accounts, Holmes, when he first started out, had only one vice - smoking cigarettes. But as the decade wore on, he developed a debilitating cocaine habit. Fortunately for him, he was a walking freak show and could party relatively freely by merely showing off his sizeable member at certain 'parties'. One of the main benefactors Holmes had was Eddie Nash (t/n Adel Nasrallah), a seedy, Lebanese-born underworld character who laundered money through a series of Hollywood bars and nightclubs he owned. Nash, a notorious addict as well, liked having Holmes around, proudly introducing him to his virtually captive audiences as "my good friend, John Holmes". He was usually happy to have John share his stash (and run up a line of credit) in return for having him sometimes run drugs, collect money and occasionally pull down his pants at his gatherings. But this wasn't enough to feed Holmes habit, which by now was taking on proportions as epic as his celebrated dick.
GOD'S GOLDEN BACKYARD Wonderland Avenue is located in Laurel Canyon, a pass between Hollywood and Studio City in the San Fernando Valley. Starting in the mid-60's, it became a popular area to live in, especially by the new, young and free-spirited counterculture populace, due to its then-inexpensive rents and picturesque, rustic vibe. The hippie, back-to-nature rhythm was born here. By the end of the decade, almost every L.A. band and record label had members or employees living throughout the canyon, some in communal enclaves, and some in more anonymity if so desired. Pamela Des Barres, celebrated 'Super Groupie' and author of "I'm With The Band" described it then as "God's Golden Backyard". Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, Love, The Mamas & Papas, The Doors and Frank Zappa (who lived in the late Western actor hero Tom Mix's log cabin on the corner of Laurel and Kirkwood, which leads to Wonderland Avenue) all called Laurel Canyon home. But by the mid-70's, it was beginning to be populated not only by musicians and creative types, but dealers of hard drugs, specifically heroin and cocaine. By the end of the decade, freebase cocaine reared its ugly head and became the drug of choice for many. According to David Crosby (whose expertise in such pharmacology cannot be disputed) freebase is/was the easiest drug to get hooked on as well as hardest to kick. John C. Holmes was one of those caught up in its le dernier cri (mania/craze) and vice-like grip.
The 'Four On The Floor" murders - July 1, 1981Gregory Diles, over 300 pounds of drug-addicted, gun packing madness was Eddie Nash's bodyguard. Eddie probably couldn't have made a better choice. As long as there was enough cash, pussy and 'base around, Diles was happy to do his job conscientiously. And in Eddie Nash's biosphere, there was an abundance of all three. Then there were "The Wonderland Gang", which included Ron Launius and his wife Susan, David Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, Joy Miller and her boyfriend Billy DeVerell. All were involved in drug dealing, theft and fencing stolen goods. Nice people. Naturally, Holmes got involved in them as well, especially when his line of credit with good ole Eddie Nash got to a point where he wasn't always so welcome. He also now owed them some serious bread.DeVerell and Lind confronted John to pay them back, which of course, he couldn't. But before things got uglier than they already were, these three geniuses cooked up a scheme. John would go to Eddie Nash's house (his good friend, remember?), and during his visit, he would leave a sliding door un-locked, enabling the "gang" to get in and rob the place blind; they would split the booty with Holmes later. Incredibly, it actually worked. In late June, 1981, the Wonderland gang arrived at Nash's house, tortured and tormented Nash and Diles (no small feat in itself), and stole about $100,000 in cash, $150,000 in jewelry as well as, of course, a large cache of drugs. And we're not talkin' about weed, here. Nash got a little cranky about all these shenanigans, and it didn't take him too long to figure out that John was involved. After getting a hold of Holmes' address book and threatening to kill (at least) all his family members unless he told what he knew, John did. It probably saved his life, which, as it turns out, wasn't worth much anyway. On July 1, 1981, LA police detectives arrived at 8763 Wonderland Avenue. What they found was the most gruesome murder scene since the Manson murders 12 years earlier. The bodies of four people, Ron Launius, William DeVerell, Barbara Richardson and Joy Miller, were found bludgeoned to death. A fifth victim, Susan Launius, was found barely alive.It's a relatively simple deduction that Nash probably sent his head pitbull, Diles, along with a few knife-wielding associates to go to Wonderland, not necessarily just to retrieve whatever stolen money and goods that might have remained, but to attain serious…retribution. They indeed did. Holmes was apparently taken along for the ride with the purpose of easy entry, but mainly to show him what could have happened to him.
DEAD MAN WALKINGA bloodied and petrified John arrived at both the homes of estranged wife Sharon and his manager Bill Amerson the night of the murders. Holmes then admitted that he was forced to watch - but didn't participate - in the slaughter.David Lind was fortunate enough to be 'no en caså' when the murders took place. When questioned by the police, it was Lind who pointed the smoking dick at Holmes, which neatly tied into the fact that LAPD detectives had also found John's bloody hand print at 8763. In probably his only intelligent move, Holmes turned himself in and agreed to speak to detectives at a 'safe house' hotel. But with the Los Angeles taxpayers footing the bill, Big John basically led the police around in circles, fabricating and revising stories while somehow not pointing the finger at Nash, from whom he (rightfully) feared for his life. After two weeks, the cops gave up, and Holmes and his girlfriend Dawn fled as far away as they could, to Florida. During this period, Holmes - still a raging addict - did the gentlemanly thing and put the preverbal yoke on his young girlfriend and 'turned her out' (as in prostitution) so that they could stay high, sheltered and one step ahead of an extremely aggravated Eddie Nash. After a while, Dawn had had enough. She escaped from Holmes loving ways and then alerted the L.A. police as to where they could find him. He was arrested for the Wonderland murders in December 4, 1981, went on trial in May 20, 1982 and was acquitted on June 16, 1982. The jury either bought Holmes "man in the middle" defense or believed that he was really the sixth victim of Nash's barbarity.The police couldn't convict Holmes, so they turned their attention on that man they wanted all along, Eddie Nash. Holmes wisely wouldn't testify against a still-free Nash and Diles with them staring him down in the courtroom, so he gladly accepted an 11-month prison sentence for contempt of court. But even if the pair was free, their influence could most likely penetrate prison walls. Of course, this being Hollywood, John used the time to work on his autobiography, "Porn King: The Autobiography of John C. Holmes".
Things changed in November of 1982, when Nash and Diles were convicted of unrelated drug charges. John C. Holmes testified before the grand jury and told them all he knew about the Wonderland murders, Eddie Nash, Gregory Diles and "The Wonderland Gang". He was even mostly honest. Nash was brought to trial, but the jury deadlocked at 11-1, and Eddie Nash walked. The common scuttlebutt on the street was that he bribed one of the jurors in this case as well as in a 2000 racketeering trial that ended with the same results. Although apparently ill and in his mid-70's, Adel Nasrallah remains a free man, but tainted with the excessive, Jackson Pollac/dripping-style Wonderland paintbrush. Following the grand jury testimony where Holmes implicated all concerned, John continued working in the porn industry while learning a survivalist technique of constantly looking over his shoulder. Testing positive for Aids in 1986 didn't even deter him; he just kept up his hard-working ways. What a fine human being he was. In 1987 he entered the VA hospital, and eventually died of Aids on March 13, 1988. In the end, John C. Holmes' tombstone should read: "The fucking you get isn't always worth the fucking you get". I'll bet it's hot down there, Wadd - like Bob Segar said, "they got the fire down below". POSTSCRIPTWhen the police were investigating the Sharon Tate murders in late summer of 1969 (prior to learning about Manson's involvement), the first thing that they were certain of was that it was a "drug-burn murder". Well, 12 years later and about five miles away, they sure got one. The upcoming film, "Wonderland" - starring Val Kilmer as Holmes - may shed some new light on the case. Only in Hollywood…where dreams are stillborn.
©2003 M.E. Greene/Tuesday Friday
Acknowledgements: Parts of this story were sourced from the VKN website. Thanks also to Miller, J.S., B. Beausoleil, V. Bugliosi, A.T. Lee, A. Spence, Lloyds of Van Nuys, Geffen Records for the fabulously dated music, and of course, The Universal. - M.G.
Bonus Track"She-it, Holmes-boy wuz just a punk kid wit a skinny empty ba-loon hangin, compared to DA LOG! If it wuz ME killin' doze peeps, I woulda beat 'em down wit 'jus my Johnson! Fuck a bunch o bullets 'n blades 'n chit. Who need dat when yo rod be King Kong's baseball bat!? Y'all gots ta see MY new flick - iss call 'Fo On Da Flo', nome sane?-Johnson N. Johnson, African-American porn star
http://www.johnholmeswonderland.com/
www.pornstarclassics.com
For the most part, the 1970's were John Holmes decade. Blessed with a virtually elephantine penis, this asset made him the most in-demand male star on the emerging porn film circuit. He took on the 'stage' name of 'Johnny Wadd'. From all accounts, Holmes, when he first started out, had only one vice - smoking cigarettes. But as the decade wore on, he developed a debilitating cocaine habit. Fortunately for him, he was a walking freak show and could party relatively freely by merely showing off his sizeable member at certain 'parties'. One of the main benefactors Holmes had was Eddie Nash (t/n Adel Nasrallah), a seedy, Lebanese-born underworld character who laundered money through a series of Hollywood bars and nightclubs he owned. Nash, a notorious addict as well, liked having Holmes around, proudly introducing him to his virtually captive audiences as "my good friend, John Holmes". He was usually happy to have John share his stash (and run up a line of credit) in return for having him sometimes run drugs, collect money and occasionally pull down his pants at his gatherings. But this wasn't enough to feed Holmes habit, which by now was taking on proportions as epic as his celebrated dick.
GOD'S GOLDEN BACKYARD Wonderland Avenue is located in Laurel Canyon, a pass between Hollywood and Studio City in the San Fernando Valley. Starting in the mid-60's, it became a popular area to live in, especially by the new, young and free-spirited counterculture populace, due to its then-inexpensive rents and picturesque, rustic vibe. The hippie, back-to-nature rhythm was born here. By the end of the decade, almost every L.A. band and record label had members or employees living throughout the canyon, some in communal enclaves, and some in more anonymity if so desired. Pamela Des Barres, celebrated 'Super Groupie' and author of "I'm With The Band" described it then as "God's Golden Backyard". Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, Love, The Mamas & Papas, The Doors and Frank Zappa (who lived in the late Western actor hero Tom Mix's log cabin on the corner of Laurel and Kirkwood, which leads to Wonderland Avenue) all called Laurel Canyon home. But by the mid-70's, it was beginning to be populated not only by musicians and creative types, but dealers of hard drugs, specifically heroin and cocaine. By the end of the decade, freebase cocaine reared its ugly head and became the drug of choice for many. According to David Crosby (whose expertise in such pharmacology cannot be disputed) freebase is/was the easiest drug to get hooked on as well as hardest to kick. John C. Holmes was one of those caught up in its le dernier cri (mania/craze) and vice-like grip.
The 'Four On The Floor" murders - July 1, 1981Gregory Diles, over 300 pounds of drug-addicted, gun packing madness was Eddie Nash's bodyguard. Eddie probably couldn't have made a better choice. As long as there was enough cash, pussy and 'base around, Diles was happy to do his job conscientiously. And in Eddie Nash's biosphere, there was an abundance of all three. Then there were "The Wonderland Gang", which included Ron Launius and his wife Susan, David Lind and his girlfriend, Barbara Richardson, Joy Miller and her boyfriend Billy DeVerell. All were involved in drug dealing, theft and fencing stolen goods. Nice people. Naturally, Holmes got involved in them as well, especially when his line of credit with good ole Eddie Nash got to a point where he wasn't always so welcome. He also now owed them some serious bread.DeVerell and Lind confronted John to pay them back, which of course, he couldn't. But before things got uglier than they already were, these three geniuses cooked up a scheme. John would go to Eddie Nash's house (his good friend, remember?), and during his visit, he would leave a sliding door un-locked, enabling the "gang" to get in and rob the place blind; they would split the booty with Holmes later. Incredibly, it actually worked. In late June, 1981, the Wonderland gang arrived at Nash's house, tortured and tormented Nash and Diles (no small feat in itself), and stole about $100,000 in cash, $150,000 in jewelry as well as, of course, a large cache of drugs. And we're not talkin' about weed, here. Nash got a little cranky about all these shenanigans, and it didn't take him too long to figure out that John was involved. After getting a hold of Holmes' address book and threatening to kill (at least) all his family members unless he told what he knew, John did. It probably saved his life, which, as it turns out, wasn't worth much anyway. On July 1, 1981, LA police detectives arrived at 8763 Wonderland Avenue. What they found was the most gruesome murder scene since the Manson murders 12 years earlier. The bodies of four people, Ron Launius, William DeVerell, Barbara Richardson and Joy Miller, were found bludgeoned to death. A fifth victim, Susan Launius, was found barely alive.It's a relatively simple deduction that Nash probably sent his head pitbull, Diles, along with a few knife-wielding associates to go to Wonderland, not necessarily just to retrieve whatever stolen money and goods that might have remained, but to attain serious…retribution. They indeed did. Holmes was apparently taken along for the ride with the purpose of easy entry, but mainly to show him what could have happened to him.
DEAD MAN WALKINGA bloodied and petrified John arrived at both the homes of estranged wife Sharon and his manager Bill Amerson the night of the murders. Holmes then admitted that he was forced to watch - but didn't participate - in the slaughter.David Lind was fortunate enough to be 'no en caså' when the murders took place. When questioned by the police, it was Lind who pointed the smoking dick at Holmes, which neatly tied into the fact that LAPD detectives had also found John's bloody hand print at 8763. In probably his only intelligent move, Holmes turned himself in and agreed to speak to detectives at a 'safe house' hotel. But with the Los Angeles taxpayers footing the bill, Big John basically led the police around in circles, fabricating and revising stories while somehow not pointing the finger at Nash, from whom he (rightfully) feared for his life. After two weeks, the cops gave up, and Holmes and his girlfriend Dawn fled as far away as they could, to Florida. During this period, Holmes - still a raging addict - did the gentlemanly thing and put the preverbal yoke on his young girlfriend and 'turned her out' (as in prostitution) so that they could stay high, sheltered and one step ahead of an extremely aggravated Eddie Nash. After a while, Dawn had had enough. She escaped from Holmes loving ways and then alerted the L.A. police as to where they could find him. He was arrested for the Wonderland murders in December 4, 1981, went on trial in May 20, 1982 and was acquitted on June 16, 1982. The jury either bought Holmes "man in the middle" defense or believed that he was really the sixth victim of Nash's barbarity.The police couldn't convict Holmes, so they turned their attention on that man they wanted all along, Eddie Nash. Holmes wisely wouldn't testify against a still-free Nash and Diles with them staring him down in the courtroom, so he gladly accepted an 11-month prison sentence for contempt of court. But even if the pair was free, their influence could most likely penetrate prison walls. Of course, this being Hollywood, John used the time to work on his autobiography, "Porn King: The Autobiography of John C. Holmes".
Things changed in November of 1982, when Nash and Diles were convicted of unrelated drug charges. John C. Holmes testified before the grand jury and told them all he knew about the Wonderland murders, Eddie Nash, Gregory Diles and "The Wonderland Gang". He was even mostly honest. Nash was brought to trial, but the jury deadlocked at 11-1, and Eddie Nash walked. The common scuttlebutt on the street was that he bribed one of the jurors in this case as well as in a 2000 racketeering trial that ended with the same results. Although apparently ill and in his mid-70's, Adel Nasrallah remains a free man, but tainted with the excessive, Jackson Pollac/dripping-style Wonderland paintbrush. Following the grand jury testimony where Holmes implicated all concerned, John continued working in the porn industry while learning a survivalist technique of constantly looking over his shoulder. Testing positive for Aids in 1986 didn't even deter him; he just kept up his hard-working ways. What a fine human being he was. In 1987 he entered the VA hospital, and eventually died of Aids on March 13, 1988. In the end, John C. Holmes' tombstone should read: "The fucking you get isn't always worth the fucking you get". I'll bet it's hot down there, Wadd - like Bob Segar said, "they got the fire down below". POSTSCRIPTWhen the police were investigating the Sharon Tate murders in late summer of 1969 (prior to learning about Manson's involvement), the first thing that they were certain of was that it was a "drug-burn murder". Well, 12 years later and about five miles away, they sure got one. The upcoming film, "Wonderland" - starring Val Kilmer as Holmes - may shed some new light on the case. Only in Hollywood…where dreams are stillborn.
©2003 M.E. Greene/Tuesday Friday
Acknowledgements: Parts of this story were sourced from the VKN website. Thanks also to Miller, J.S., B. Beausoleil, V. Bugliosi, A.T. Lee, A. Spence, Lloyds of Van Nuys, Geffen Records for the fabulously dated music, and of course, The Universal. - M.G.
Bonus Track"She-it, Holmes-boy wuz just a punk kid wit a skinny empty ba-loon hangin, compared to DA LOG! If it wuz ME killin' doze peeps, I woulda beat 'em down wit 'jus my Johnson! Fuck a bunch o bullets 'n blades 'n chit. Who need dat when yo rod be King Kong's baseball bat!? Y'all gots ta see MY new flick - iss call 'Fo On Da Flo', nome sane?-Johnson N. Johnson, African-American porn star
http://www.johnholmeswonderland.com/
www.pornstarclassics.com
