[MichaelRyerson]

Originally Posted by CityBoyDoug

The details of Joan's life are interesting and of course very LA Noir GW.

My stepfather was a successful attorney in Los Angeles [he also owned apartments, several factories, a jewelry store and so on]. My mother loved him and put up with just about anything he did. She liked being on the inside of his many intrigues and she always cooperated. A lot goes on in marriages that is kept very quiet. My sister and I only found out these things many decades after the fact. As a child at the time, I only knew that he was seriously searching for ''parents'' for these babies. I never guessed that he was the father. What does a child know of these matters. I tried to stay out of his sight because he knew my real father and he intensely disliked him. As I have said here before there was an arrest warrant active for my bio father for aggravated assault, etc. He fled the state and never returned to CA.

Two of these babies, a brother and sister, went to his long time friends who lived just around the corner from us [they were unable to conceive]. The other two babies, sisters, went to people in our church who were desperate for a child. I recall seeing the adopting mother when she got her new baby...she had tears of joy. She named the baby Gleam.

My stepfather's previous wife of 20 years committed suicide in the garage of this Los Angeles house [photo below]. He bought this house in 1935 for around $5,500 new [? if I recall correctly]...its still standing. I have her suicide note that I found after his passing. I found it in a file of his personal papers and letters. She had taken the gun from a neighbor's home the day before...if you can believe that. At least that's the story, which I find a bit far fetched. I don't think that there was any investigation. She was just found dead in the loft of the garage when he came home from work.

Noir? I'd have to agree with that GW.

That was life in the 1950s...there were many twists and turns, plus a lot of drama now and then.


personal collection

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

Los Angeles Pressed Brick Co. (no date)


ebay

Anyone have an address?
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Anyone notice the 'S's? I wonder what they are.