Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys and one of the most influential songwriters and producers in American music history, has died at age 82. Widely regarded as the genius behind hits like “Good Vibrations” and the groundbreaking album Pet Sounds, Wilson leaves behind a complicated but profound legacy that reshaped pop music forever. Early…
When viewers were asked which guest they would like to see on political comedian Bill Maher’s podcast, they chose director, Quentin Tarantino. In his August 2024 appearance on Maher’s Club Random, Tarantino names the best trilogy ever made, talks Robert Blake’s murder case, and Alec Baldwin’s Rust shooting. The Podcast For those who have never…
Love it or hate it, Facebook has made it easy to locate old classmates, no matter what town you’re from or what town you currently live. Many of those old friends are just a search away, accessible from your own home. Well, back in 1968, a group of graduates and students didn’t have the luxury…
As we slowly start to open up physical spaces, people are itching to visit places like restaurants, movie theaters and bowling alleys. That got us to remembering something we came across years ago – Andy Lococo’s Cockatoo Inn had an actual, competitive bowling team! The Cockatoo bowling club was simply known as the “Cockatoo Club”…
FEB 15, 1988 – 33 years ago today, the late Los Angeles County Supervisor, Kenneth Hahn, held a campaign brunch to run for an unprecedented 10th term. Rumors of a famous and staunch supporter arriving circulated the room. Soon, people felt the presence of Muhammad Ali at the Cockatoo Inn. Beginnings Up until that point…
The year was 1984. Cold War tensions were still high. Hawthorne, California had a large defense presence. On December 10, 1984, an aerospace engineer from Northrop Aviation decided to risk it all. Here’s what a spy tried to do at the Cockatoo. Background Thomas P. Cavanagh (b.1945) was a mid-level engineer at the Advanced Systems…
Throughout his life, Cockatoo owner Andy Lococo faced much scrutiny from authorities. Recently, we uncovered information showing that the FBI kept tabs on his activities for at least 10 years. After watching Andy’s trips to Mexico, agents caught wind of why he was interested in a hotel called Borrego de Oro. Why Andy? First, why…
Reactions to the death of Robert Forster were many. The actor, known for his kind demeanor on screen and off, passed away Friday, Oct 11, 2019 from brain cancer. This according to his publicist. Cockatoo Inn fans might know Forster best for his role as Max Cherry, the bail bondsman and romantic interest of Jackie…
We recently connected with former Cockatoo Inn employee, Val Crotty. When Val worked at the Cockatoo, the joint was in different hands. By 1978, Andrew Lococo had already passed. Despite this, the Cockatoo still had an air of intrigue that commanded a certain level of esteem. Guy walks into a bar Let’s step back a…
I’m not the biggest fan of biopics. You know, movies that try to tell a person’s whole life through generalized events, amidst amorphous timelines. However, this week I picked up a biopic on the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. As you probably know, the Wilsons grew up in Hawthorne, and went to Hawthorne High School. The…