Friday, July 1, 2011

42 years ago today: It Begins



The story of Bernard "Lotsapoppa" Crowe

July 1st 1969-Charlie needed some money and ordered Tex to find some. Tex called his ex girlfriend Louella for money. She had none to give. Charlie again told Tex to get some money. Tex came up with a scam to burn someone. He called Louella with a really good deal on some weed. She hooked him up with a drug dealer Bernard Crowe.

Crowe and his crew drove Tex to the apartment where he would buy the weed. Slick Tex went into the building by the front door with Crowe's $2,500 and kept going right out the back door where T.J was waiting with the getaway car. Back to the ranch. After some time Crowe knew he was burned. He called the ranch demanding his money back or he was coming to the ranch to kill everybody.

On July 1, 1969 Charlie went to meet Crowe at his apartment to "smooth things over". He ended up shooting Crowe. After Crowe hit the floor Charlie demanded the buckskin jacket one of Crowe's henchmen was wearing. He quickly turned the jacket over to Charlie (see arrest photos below in which he is wearing said jacket).  After that T.J.split the whole scene and reappeared after the arrests.

The next day on the radio was a broadcast about someone dumping a dead Black Panther near U.C.L.A the night before. Charlie assumed it was Crowe.

The paranoia begins. All of a sudden there were alot of black people visiting the ranch riding the horses. Charlie was convinced all the black people were spies for the Black Panthers. That was when Charlie started posting armed guards at night and ordering the Family to sleep scattered in the back hills. This was the beginning of the end: the seed of the killings to come.