A Murder in Hollywood: The Untold Story of Tinseltown’s Most Shocking Crime

In April 1958, the tumultuous relationship between actress Lana Turner and her onetime gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato ended in bloodshed. At that time, violence and flawed men were a constant source of heartache for Turner. The shocking murder of her father in 1930 led to Turner and her mother’s relocation from San Francisco to Hollywood. Lana’s rise to stardom began with her discovery by Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson at fifteen.

Turner’s roles would start small but progress to top-billing. Turner’s ascent wouldn’t be without its pitfalls as her beauty brought attention from various Hollywood players with lecherous intent. Turner’s attempts at marriage faltered under the strain of abuse and lies from various men. Johnny Stompanato came into Turner’s life with nefarious intent and would only become more menacing with time. His abuse and cruelty of Turner took a toll on her and culminated one fateful Friday Night.

Author Casey Sherman (Helltown, 2022) has a knack for writing a captivating true crime book. In his latest page-turner, Sherman regales the reader with the amusing life stories of Lana Turner, Mickey Cohen, and Johnny Stompanato and how destiny threw the trio together in infamy. Sherman adds another winning entry to his extensive bibliography.