Whitley Heights 101

6782 Milner Road

6782 Milner Road was built in 1925 (original address was 6709 Milner Court) by real estate investor Roy F. Haish and wife Jennie. Jennie was actually listed as the owner, architect, and contractor of the residence. The property contains two residences: the main house which is on the right, which consists of 1,142 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and the house to the left (6782 1/2 Milner Road), consisting of 950 square feet, 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. The Haishes lived at this residence until 1933, keeping their other home on Yucca Street where Roy died in 1941. This property has seen many film and musical talent in and out of its doors.

Pianist Milan Blanchet moved to this house from 2145 Whitley Avenue in 1932 and resided here for about a year. 2145 Whitley Avenue is on the other side of the freeway now. Blanchet was born in Yugoslavia in 1881 and took a ship to Canada, then entered the United States border in 1919. Blanchett became a citizen while living in Chicago in 1929 and changing his name to Blanchett from Sokoloff. Blanchett moved to Hollywood circa 1931 and moved to the Whitley Avenue home. Blanchet became a notable concert pianist and instructor in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Blanchet gave piano lessons (only to advanced students) in the Whitley Avenue home in 1931 and many of his pupils (Frederick Marvin and William Kernell) went on to become concert pianists.

Between 1935-1938 Deputy City Public Defender Bernard Clasky and his wife, Louise, resided at this residence. Clasky was famously known for his role in the 1948 murder of Los Angeles businessman Jerome Ferreri. Police had arrested Ferreri’s wife, 26 year old Patricia Elizabeth “Betty” LaDay, handyman Allan Adron, and painter Charles Fauci for his death. After Ferreri had been shot several times at his home at 310 S. Lucerne Blvd., he had been bludgeoned 23 times with a meat cleaver. Clasky represented Fauci during the trial, who was allegedly the decorator and living in the home. Jerome, known to be a womanizer and abusive towards Betty, made the mistake of bringing another woman to the home. After Betty threw them both out of the house, Jerome returned home. Fauci handed Aldron a gun through the window and he shot Jerome several times. Betty, who said her husband had threatened her life, took the meat cleaver and hit him on the head 26 times, while her 4 year old son was sleeping in the next room. She claimed her husband was “virtually jail proof” after beating her so often and coming home after he was arrested. Later Aldron indicated he was “hypnotized” by Betty and did not know what he was doing when he shot Ferreri.

Betty apparently had no remorse for killing her husband and said she was glad she killed him. Ferreri had a long record dating back to 1934, according to police. Betty had worked as a carhop and had several renters in the home, which was the family income as she said her husband was unemployed. Betty pleaded “temporary insanity” during the trial and lost custody of her son, who went to live with his paternal grandparents. They had paid for their home on Lucerne and moved into the home during the trial. That must of drove Betty crazy; she was in jail and they moved into her home and were raising her son. During the trial, she was found be be “sane” and court psychiatrists came up with the following conclusions: 1. Sex kept Jerome and Betty together even after their life of violent quarrels began. 2. Betty was a “Mrs. Frankenstein” when she created her husband and then destroyed him rather than destroying herself. 3. The “Leopard Lady” suffered “Psychosis America” trying to keep up with the neighbors socially. Below is Betty and Jerome getting married in 1941.

It came out during the trial that Betty helped to improve Jerome’s life by helping him get nose surgery, doing to the dentist to straighten is teeth, and tutored him to make him more educated. Betty was suffering the “Psychosis America” in that he wanted the perfect life, a perfect husband and a perfect home. Betty also enhanced the drama in the courthouse, fainting when her husband’s abuse was described and screaming, “Why don’t you tell the truth?” at Aldrin when he testified against her. She also burst into screaming hysterics when a witness reenacted the way she killed her husband using the meat cleaver. On March 19, 1949, Betty Ferreri was found not guilty by the jury and was acquitted on all charges. Ferreri got custody of her son back and moved to New Jersey. Below Betty Ferreri and Allan Aldron in custody after the murder. Betty was dubbed “The Leopard Lady” due to the leopard fur coat she was wearing.

Between 1940-1942, publicist Linn Unkefer and his wife, Reta, lived at 6782 Milner Road. Unkefer worked for RKO Studios and 20th Century Studios and was the publicist for several films between 1931 to 1971. His most notable films included: In Name Only (1931), starring Cary Grant and Carole Lombard, Blue Hawaii (1961), starring Elvis Presley, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), starring Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, Who’s Minding the Store? (1962), starring Jerry Lewis and Jill St. John, and Mash (1970), starring Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould. Possibly his most notable “claim to fame” is that after Humphrey Bogart’s passing, the 1956 Thunderbird was retained by his estate, until sold in 1959 by the Bogart estate and his widow, Lauren Bacall, to Linn Unkefer of Beverly Hills, California, an employee at 20th Century Fox. This car is still in existence and sold for $106,400 sold at an auction last year.

Between 1952 and 1953, travel agency owner Leo Shreve and his wife, Helen, resided at this residence. Shreve was a personal tour guide that would escort his clients around the world, including on the boat the S.S. Wilson (see below). Prior to living at 6782 Milner Road, he resided at 6655 Odin Street in the 1940s, with his son, Leo Shreve, Jr., who was an editor for Warner Brothers Studios. Leo Shreve Jr. worked on tv shows such as 77 Sunset Strip and Star Trek. He married model, Dorothy Shreve, who eventually started the Dorothy Shreve Model & Talent Agency, which currently operates in Palm Springs.

In the 1990s, editor, writer, and producer Yann Debonne resided at 6782 Milner Road. Debonne produced 28 television shows including; Candid Camera (1991), The Real West (1992-1994), Biography (1997), and The New Tom Greene Show (1993). Below are photos of the interior of the smaller home that is on the left side of the property:

6782 Milner Drive was home to actress Kristin Morley Zaslow (pictured below) in 1995. The former actress, now a successful real estate agent, made appearances in tv shows such as; Hotel (1987), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996), The Drew Carey Show (2001), and Six Feet Under (2005). Other notables included concert pianist Rae Best from 1942 to 1950. From an early age, music was an inspiration for Rae Best. She began playing piano at the age of 8 and soon became a professional. At 16 she debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a soloist. She was a memorable sight in her first performance with the renowned orchestra–wearing a flowing gown laden with the medals she had won from previous piano competitions. Composer Earl E. Lawrence lived in the home from 1944 to 1948. Lawrence worked at Universal Studios and was known for his work on The Incredible Shrinking Man (1959), A Stranger in My Arms (1959), starring June Allyson and Sandra Dee, and Batman and Robin (1949).

From approximately 2009 to 2020, producer, writer, and editor George Stroumboulopoulos lived on the property, often with roommates. Born in Toronto in 1972, he is one of Canada’s most popular broadcasters and best known as formerly being a VJ for the Canadian music television channel MuchMusic. He was also the host and co-executive producer of the CBC Television talk show George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight (formerly The Hour) from 2005 to 2014. From 2014 to 2016, Stroumboulopoulos worked for Rogers Media, anchoring Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL on Rogers. In December 2019, he was a radio host on CBC Music. Most recently, he joined Apple Music Radio as host of a Monday to Thursday live show.

On September 23, 2016, Richard Sa Dong Hong, 41, was killed at this address after sustaining a blunt force trauma. According to People Magazine, a homeless man was arrested for Hong’s death. Hong had been staying in the home of Canadian talk show host, George Stroumboulopoulos, when he was attacked from a burglary gone wrong. The suspect was allegedly knocking on doors looking to rob someone. Hong had starred in 4 movies and had a minor role in the tv series, ER. He also was an avid surfer. RIP.