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February 22, 2012
Two Bunch Palms Resort Sells
The Hollywood Reporter headlines their report on the sale of this legendary resort "(Exclusive)" at 8:27 AM, but the Desert Sun got a story posted only 39 minutes later.
There are 4 buyers: Gidi Cohen [an Israeli Navy Seal at one time!] plus the trio who bought Grauman's Chinese Theatre last year: Steve Markoff, Donald Kushner [producer of TRON, executive producer of TRON: Legacy and on top of all that, a native of Providence, Rhode Island!], and Elie Samaha. The price for Desert Hot Springs' top resort is said to have been under $10 million.
The story of the Al Capone connection which gets repeated in the news stories is totally bogus.
In a verbless sentence the Desert Sun suggests: "A $3 million to $6 million renovation for the resort's 52 rooms and spa facilities that, in Cohen's words, will remain "faithful to the traditions of this peerless gem, but will spare no expense to re-create a destination at the very pinnacle of the lodging and resort industry."
I imagine words like "is planned" or "is anticipated" went forgotten as K. Kaufmann slaved away tirelessly at her keyboard. But she didn't forget to include the requisite slam at DHS, which now is a standard policy at the DS:
Cohen has an ambitious timetable for resort expansion, estimating that construction of new facilities could take place over the next two to three years.Navigating Desert Hot Springs' permitting process that quickly could be a challenge.
To support her insinuation Ms. Kaufmann vaguely cites something that happened in 1987! I am going out on a limb here to guess that DHS Planning Director Martín Magaña was in middle school (give or take) at the time and cannot be blamed for whatever went down.
Filed under Desert Hot Springs,Travel | permalink | February 22, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Comments
For more data on Al Capone and TBP, see:
http://www.dhshistoricalsociety.com/Two_Bunch_Palms_and_Al_Capone.pps
According to local residents, the myth seems to have been started around 1972.
Posted by: Jeff at Feb 22, 2012 9:52:42 PM
Todd's fingers have healed and now he can type real information. Contrary information is here on Ron's Log.
Posted by: Ron's Log at Feb 22, 2012 4:40:06 PM
FYI A place to get the book that perpetuates this story you choose not to believe.
http://www.amazon.com/Gladys-Capone-Untold-Related-Walton/dp/B00275QDS4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329956286&sr=1-1
Posted by: Todd at Feb 22, 2012 4:20:20 PM
I guess what she told her son John was trivial. Since this is what she told her family. I guess she thought back those many years ago it would be a good story to make up. So someone like you who does not like to be proven wrong can dismiss it as not being true. I only know of this story because I met her son in Palm Springs a few years ago.
Posted by: Todd at Feb 22, 2012 4:14:03 PM
I went to IMDB and found this for Todd whose fingers must have suddenly broken:
Survived by son Robert, of Garden Grove, California; three daughters, Mary Jane Williamson of Costa Mesa, CA, Janice Meyers of Morro Bay and Gloria Eberhardt of Idaho; and two other sons, John Herbel of Fallbrook, CA, and Edward Herbel of New York City.Silent film star, first with the Sunshine Comedy Company at the age of sixteen, acting in two-reelers. Under contract to Universal between 1919 and 1925. She earned $500 a week at the peak of her career. Girlfriend of notorious mobster Al Capone for some ten years, often staying at Capone's Two Bunch Palms hideaway in Southern California. Universal failed to renew her contract due to the 'Morals Clause' and Gladys retired after 1928 and moved to Chicago to raise a family.
Of course, trivia items written on IMDB are ever so much more reliable than the Desert Sun or The Hollywood Reporter.
One can find an nearly endless list of websites that say Al Capone lived there. You can find even more that say Noah took breeding pairs of all the living animals on that ark. Doesn't make either story true.
Posted by: Ron's Log at Feb 22, 2012 4:01:33 PM
Ron before you spread misinformation go to IMDB.com look up Gladys Walton.
Posted by: Todd at Feb 22, 2012 3:25:05 PM
