IN 1972 I WAS 10--Listening to Melvin Belli on the radio with KGO Radio's Jim Dunbar. The Zodiac, Belli and Dunbar who appealed to Zodiac, who tormented SF for a few years with his brutal murders, for sanity. It never happened --at least we still don't know and still don't know the Zodiac's fate.
Belli had a certain charm amidst his notorious image. He was a great lawyer (as long as you paid him) and his public persona was boisterous to the end. And when he was on radio he had a fever pitch and often made for entertaining conversation. Dunbar got into his ear. He played along, did the King of torts.
In today's environment, that phone call couldn't happen.
Belli's office next to Doro's was a trip.
ReplyDeleteBelli's appearance in a Star Trek episode pretty much channeled what we all thought of him ... "Friendly Angel", NOT!
ReplyDeleteMy office was only seven blocks from Belli's. I even saw him once at Tadich's.
ReplyDeleteYou could always tell when he was in his office, his Rolls Royce was parked right in front.
ReplyDeleteIt had a license plate of "Tibet" and he crashed it into a building in Sausalito one night. Got out of a drunk driving charge though. I guess he convinced everyone the building crashed into him.
DeleteWith today's DNA technology it's only a matter of time until they know who it was.
ReplyDeleteExtra Credit
ReplyDeleteWho was, Well Done Rump Roast
Wasn't that his dog?
DeleteAnyone remember the skeleton next to his desk? Sky blue RR with the gold on blue personalized plate: TIBET I worked on the other side of the TA building on Clay/Montgomery and walked past his office daily.
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