The Hidden History of Los Angeles

This episode tells the story of Guy McAfee, an LAPD police officer turned crime boss turned casino mogul, who played an important role in the development of Las Vegas.

This episode features an interview with Azalea Camacho, Liza Posas, Jessica Gambling, and Victoria Bernal about the Los Angeles Archives Bazaar on October 28, 2023 at the Doheny LIbrary at USC. 

This episode tells the remarkable and strange story of Jack Parsons, one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

This episode features an interview with Nelson Johnson about his book "Darrow's Nightmare: The Forgotten Story of America's Most Famous Trial Lawyer."

In 1910, the famed attorney Clarence Darrow represented two brothers accused of bombing the L.A. Times building before Darrow himself was put on trial for allegedly bribing a juror. 

Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." has become the city's unofficial anthem. But, does Randy Newman really love L.A.?

This episode features an interview with Nathan Masters about his new book, "Crooked: The Roaring '20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal."

This episode features an interview with Teena Apeles about her new book, "52 Things To Do In Los Angeles." 

This episode features an interview with Evan Lovett, the creator of L.A. in a Minute. 

This episode is about the Grammy Award winning Los Angeles musical group Ozomatli and features an interview with Ulises Bella. 

This episode is about the time the legendary jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker, spent in Los Angeles, which included epic jam sessions and recordings, but also drugs, debauchery, a stay at a mental institution, and a "naked" party.

My friend, Eyvin Hernandez, is being unlawfully detained in Venezuela. Listen to the episode to learn about Eyvin and what we can do to bring him home. Sign the online petition: https://www.change.org/p/bring-eyvin-hernandez-home. Make a donation: https://gofund.me/4117b3cb. Learn more: https://bringeyvinhome.org/. 

This episode features an interview with Natalia Molina about her new book, "A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community." 

This episode explores the origin of the name Pico Boulevard.

This episode features an interview with Paul Haddad regarding his book, "Freewaytopia: How Freeways Shaped Los Angeles."

In this special crossover episode, I interview, and get interviewed by, Daniel Zafran and Greg Gonzalez from the L.A. Meekly podcast. 

In this episode, guest host Leah Treidler tells the story behind the city's iconic palm trees.

This episode features an interview with Ken Bernstein about his book, "Preserving Los Angeles: How Historic Places Can Transform America's Cities."

This episode tells the story behind a grave site in Altadena. 

This episode features an interview with historian William Deverell regarding his latest book, "Kathy Fiscus: A Tragedy That Transfixed The Nation."

Dootsie Williams was a trailblazing black music executive and entrepreneur who left an impact on the music industry and his community. 

This episode features an interview with Catherine Auman about her book "Guide to Spiritual L.A.: The Irreverent, the Awake, and the True."

This episode features an interview with Martha Gonzalez, lead singer of the L.A. band Quetzal, about her book "Chicana Artivistas: Music, Community, and Transborder Tactics in East Los Angeles." 

This episode features an interview with Andrea Richards and Teena Apeles about their book "We Heart L.A. Parks," a coloring and activity book for all ages.  

This episode features an interview with Jason Horton about his book "Abandoned and Historic Los Angeles: Neon and Beyond."

This episode features an interview with historian Nathan Marsak regarding his new book "Bunker Hill Los Angeles."

With a short trip into the mountains near Los Angeles, in Big Santa Anita Canyon, you can step back in time to the Great Hiking Era of the early 20th century. This episode also features an interview with Maggie Moran, owner of Adams Pack Station, regarding the current situation in the canyon after the Bobcat Fire.

This episode explores the history behind one of L.A.'s most famous streets, Rodeo Drive. 

This episode features an interview with D.J. Waldie about his new book "Becoming Los Angeles: Myth, Memory, and a Sense of Place. 

This episode explores the time Malcolm X spent in Los Angeles, which included a high speed car chase on the freeway, an assassination attempt, and an L.A.P.D. shooting. 

This episode explores the origin of the name Wilshire Boulevard. 

This episode features an interview with Jon Wiener regarding his new book, Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties, which he co-authored with Mike Davis. The book provides a comprehensive history of the civil rights movement in Los Angeles during the 1960s. 

This episode features an interview with Casey Schreiner regarding his new book "Discovering Griffith Park: A Local's Guide."

Carol Kaye is a Los Angeles musician you have definitely heard, but likely haven't heard of. 

This episode features an interview with Susan Phillips about her book The City Beneath: A Century of Los Angeles Graffiti.

This episode examines Disney history in Los Angeles and features an interview with Chris Nichols about his book Walt Disney's Disneyland. 

What can a country song about driving on Los Angeles freeways tell us about our city? This episode examines Guy Clark's song L.A. Freeway and the city's connection to country music. 

The episode features an interview with Josh Kun about his latest book, The Autograph Book of L.A.

Anaheim investigator Julissa Trapp is not like other detectives. She's the only woman on the homicide squad, and a skilled chameleon: undercover cop in vice stings, crime-scene commander, patient confidante of killers. A master interrogator, she invokes her personal experience – and deepest griefs -- as a tool to elicit confessions. When a young woman's body is found at a trash-sorting plant, Trapp learns the murder may be linked to the disappearance of three other women in nearby Santa Ana. Trapp embarks on a dark journey that brings her face to face with a man who takes “a little piece of her soul.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/TrappHidden

The fourth season of KCET's Emmy winning documentary series Lost LA premieres October 15 so I sat down with the show's host, writer and L.A. historian Nathan Masters, to talk about the show and upcoming season.

On Mills Place in Old Town Pasadena there is a historical plaque which doesn't tell the whole story. 

From the partnership that brought you Dirty John, comes Man in the Window. Pulitzer prize winning reporter Paige St. John investigates The Golden State Killer, and traces his path of devastation through the eyes of his victims. Listen now at wondery.fm/hiddenhistory

This episode explores the lesser-known Los Angeles movies and features an interview with Phoef Sutton and Mark Jordan Legan of the podcast Film Freaks Forever. 

There are thousands of miles of freeway soundwalls across the United States, but their origin can be traced to Los Angeles.

Eric Dolphy was a multi-instrumentalist jazz virtuoso who played with the likes of John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. And he grew up in Los Angeles. 

An interview with David Kipen about his book Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018.

This episode tells the story of three laws that shaped the downtown Los Angeles skyline. 

This episode looks into why there are so many Craftsman houses in Pasadena and features an interview with Brian Baker from Pasadena Heritage about their upcoming Craftsman Weekend event.

John Cage was one of the most influential and notorious avant garde music composers of the 20th Century. And he grew up in Los Angeles. 

This episode introduces a new segment of the podcast called, "L.A. Sounds," which will feature lesser known figures from the city's musical history. 

The episode features an interview with Gary Krist about his new book The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles.