Tuesday, April 19, 2022

That you, Donkey?


I was searching for a Danny DeCarlo birthdate on Google using "Danny DeCarlo birthdate" as my query terms. Bupkis. After eleven hours of Cielo boxes yesterday, I lacked the courage to hop back in. Fortunately, cielodrive.com had Danny's birthday on his dedicated page. 

The story told across the Internet is Danny was born in Canada and became an American citizen after serving in the US Coast Guard. I took that to mean Danny arrived in the States as an adult, but always wondered how he ended up in a bike club in Venice, CA. 

Two public records exist for DeCarlo that I am comfy believing are correct. A marriage and subsequent divorce in Oregon. And not to Sherry Cooper. 

Searching Canadian records, I left empty handed. No birth. City directories. Nuthin. 

All of this is probably minutia but I'd like to remove my questions from my mind. I'm wondering if someone here might point me to a record of Danny's early life in Canada? Anything detailing his arrival in the US would be greatly appreciated. A photo in a Coast Guard uniform would be collector level. 

That kid up top looks like Danny to me. They share the same name, and I can't trace the kid beyond his 8th/9th grade photo. Orville Wright middle school feeds students into Westchester and Crenshaw High Schools. 

Danny's high school class would've graduated in 1962 or 1963. I'm guessing Westchester but also not sure Danny attended high school. Perhaps hence the Coast Guard. The Satans' Venice Beach HQ was a short drive from the neighborhoods surrounding the middle school. 

Do we have any early Sixties Westchester grads in the house? Crenshaw where you at? Somebody please help the green. 

45 comments:

G. Greene-Whyte said...

My Top 4 Donkeys:

1. Eeyore
2. Balaam's donkey
3. Eddie Murphy in Schreck
4. Danny DeCarlo

Buntline said...


I fear that Canadian data protection will be our undoing.

I've sent you an email with some ramblings.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Holy crap are you good!

shoegazer said...

G. G-W:

WRT Canada, what is the source for this? I say this because if that's flimsy, it's likely a waste of time looking at Canadian or immigration records.

Funny co-incidence: I had two cousins who graduated from Westchester, one in '61 and one in '63, but they are both dead.

Of course, service records seem like a possible place to look.

The trail grows cold, doesn't it...? :^(

G. Greene-Whyte said...

It doth grow cold. I'm not sure of the origin story of the Coast Guard but I'm in those boxes this week. I think another question would be if Danny's dad is a firearms dealer, would a Canadian national own a gun store in the US?

Buntline sent me a link to a Danny T. DeCarlo crossing at Detroit from Canada, but that man was maybe his dad. He had something like a 1914 birthdate.

There's not a ton out there on Danny, which makes me think he's alive and in Los Angeles today.

shoegazer said...

G. GW:

I believe this might be in his TLB testimony, re the revolver.

shoegazer said...

The origin of the Coast Guard, I mean. He testifies that he was a weapons expert in the coast guard.

This could be bullshit, of course.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

They would've been able to check his Coast Guard story if they wanted. I think you're right. I'll give you a shout when I find Danny talking about it to the police.

shoegazer said...

G. G-W:

I'll give you a shout when I find Danny talking about it to the police.

Not necessary, but much appreciated as over-and-above if you do, GW!

TabOrFresca said...

G. Greene-Whyte,

Don’t know if this helps.

On March 29, 1967 Lawrence, Mariam, and Danny DeCarlo were found guilty (transporting marijuana). Appeal was brought up and the subject of bond and running came up.

DEFENDANT DANNY DeCARLO: My word of honor, I don’t have any intention at all of fleeing the country.

MR. STENE: May I point out to the court that Danny DeCarlo is a veteran of the Coast Guard, honorably discharged — served four years.

DEFENDANT DANNY DeCARLO:
Top secret clearance, your honor.

3 Links regarding assault on wife (with Manson)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150709003531/http://mansonsbackporch.com/uploads/3/3/0/4/3304832/6095402_orig.jpg

https://web.archive.org/web/20150709003531/http://mansonsbackporch.com/uploads/3/3/0/4/3304832/4945112_orig.jpg

https://web.archive.org/web/20150709003532/http://mansonsbackporch.com/uploads/3/3/0/4/3304832/393404_orig.jpg

Deemer’s info

https://web.archive.org/web/20150709003540/http://mansonsbackporch.com/uploads/3/3/0/4/3304832/1095002_orig.jpg

G. Greene-Whyte said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
G. Greene-Whyte said...

I also notice, ToF, that the US Coast Guard and Canada are never mentioned in the 11/19/1969 interview. Yes?

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Perfect timing. I see Deemer's SSN for him. Thank you.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

I removed my comment because I have new info.

shoegazer said...

ToF & GW:

This is really interesting stuff and it's excellent information gathering.

It just occurred to me, and it has likely already occurred to many others here of a certain age, that almost every one of the males in the Family orbit should have registered for the draft, and this was a serious issue that was not ignored. This is to say that I'm unaware of anyone who was a US citizen and male who was not registered. They may/may not have applied to those who were in the process of voluntary enlistment.

It may be that gross disability exemptions would exclude even registration, but the process was a blanket requirement to register with a local draft board, and to be processed from that point, meaning that disability claims would come after registration.

I had to register in Oct of 1965, and was finally drafted in Feb 1970, but failed the physical. This came as a great but welcome surprise to me.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Okay. Deemer to the rescue. Danny served in the US Coast Guard from '61-'65 and earned an honorable discharge.

starviego said...

TabOrFresca said...

DEFENDANT DANNY DeCARLO:
Top secret clearance, your honor.


NOW that's interesting. I wonder what his job in the Coast Guard could have been to merit that level of clearance? Ordinary deckhands wouldn't have gotten that. Was he an intelligence operative, like so many others surrounding this case?

starviego said...

TabOrFresca said...

On March 29, 1967 Lawrence, Mariam, and Danny DeCarlo were found guilty (transporting marijuana).

Wait... Who's Lawrence and Mariam? DeCarlo's parents? Brother and sister?

shoegazer said...

Star:

Assuming he's truthful, they're not all that hard to get. I had Top Secret at two places I worked, Logicon and Northrup Aircraft, in DoD SW in the mid-80s.

I speculate that if you a) work with a classified system of any kind Nav/weapons,.etc. or b) you must frequently visit a classified facility, like a weapons hanger that has classified systems in it you would need one.

It would imply, however, that he had no criminal record at the time.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Miriam is Danny's wife.

starviego said...

Keep in mind a top mission priority of the Coast Guard is law enforcement. What was DeCarlo's job in the CG?

G. Greene-Whyte said...

"Top Secret clearance, your honor." I mean what a thing to blurt out.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

I thought he was something called a weapons expert.

shoegazer said...

GW:

"Top Secret clearance, your honor." I mean what a thing to blurt out.

Maybe it's just me, but that seems to do more harm than good.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

There's always some point in their lives where they could've went one way but they decided to go in the opposite direction. Four years in the Coast Guard, honorably discharged, and Danny chooses to sell drugs.

Danny's interview with Guenter and Whiteley is the reason the Bobby trial is paused for a week. Had anyone mentioned the phone call(s) back to the Ranch from Gary's prior to that in the testimony? I can't remember offhand.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

"I've recently arrived from Moon Base One, your honor. Our boy Buck is holding it down and keeping the Martians at bay. Oh and please excuse all this criminal stuff I just did."

shoegazer said...

HAH!!!!

starviego said...

G. Greene-Whyte said...
"Miriam is Danny's wife."

Thank you. And I see Danny had a brother named Lawrence.

Curious that DeCarlo, presumably a clean cut CoastGuardman--a law enforcement agency-- meriting a top secret clearance while barely out his teens, then gets out and gets involved in smuggling drugs, joining Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and then America's most infamous group of cult killers? I'll have to think about that...

G. Greene-Whyte said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
G. Greene-Whyte said...

I suppose we'd need to understand how much time Danny did on his weed charges before making any informant accusations although it completely seems logical.

Handcuffs in front are not the most convincing bit of evidence to me but they're certainly interesting.

*edit. Left off the "not" the first time around. Lol.

shoegazer said...

Curious that DeCarlo, presumably a clean cut CoastGuardman--a law enforcement agency-- meriting a top secret clearance while barely out his teens, then gets out and gets involved in smuggling drugs, joining Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and then America's most infamous group of cult killers? I'll have to think about that...

Occam's razor says he's a bullshitter...

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Star, Danny also goes from being in trouble, to being a witness for the People, to owning a gas station in Oregon.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Could he be so happy to explain things - in addition to the dropped motorcycle engine and marijuana charges, because he drove the killers to Gary's?

shoegazer said...

Star, Danny also goes from being in trouble, to being a witness for the People, to owning a gas station in Oregon.

Well, I see no problem there, whatsoever.

Oregon prides itself on both tolerance and diversity.

Formerly convicted of drug smuggling, member of an outlaw motorcycle gang and follower of Charles Manson? Not a problem!

G. Greene-Whyte said...

You left out total dope. All those people got arrested, he knows what he knows, and dude still hangs around breaking laws.

Dan S said...

Oswald had a level of clearance because he was stationed at a radar station

Dan S said...

In that interview with sherry cooper he comes off as a total asshole

TabOrFresca said...

Starviego asked:
Coast Guard occupation?

Volume 89 page 10533

Q: The Coast Guard?
A: Yes
Q: During what period of time?
A: ‘61 to ‘65
Q: What was you job in the Coast Guard?
A: Weapons Instructor

Volume 90 page 10624

Q: Did you have a military occupational specialty specialty frequently referred to as an MOS in guns or firearms?
A: Yes, I was a gunners mate in the Coast Guard. MOS is for Army.

G. Greene-Whyte:
Motorcycle engine?

Volume 91
Read the beginning pages. A number of charges.

Q: Now the cases we are talking about that they were going to drop were a Grand Theft of a motorcycle engine?
A: Yeah
Q: Receiving stolen property and possession of marijuana?
A: Right, that’s correct

Q: Were they dismissed?
A:Yes
Q: .. same time that you testified in Beausoleil?
A: Yes

Note: He still had a weapons charge and two assault charges.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Okay, thank you. The assault charges you linked me to over knocking Miriam around the Saloon?

shoegazer said...

ToF:

FWIW, this is excellent information, well-sourced. It gives us clear insight into his legal situation when he testified. This does not, in itself, mean anything is suspect, but accounts for his willingness to testify as a prosecution witness.

It is always good to get as full a picture as you can.

Thanks for your efforts!

TabOrFresca said...

G. Greene-Whyte said:

“The assault charges you linked me to over knocking Miriam around the Saloon?”

I believe that the assault charges against Miriam were dropped (as they were against Manson).

I believe these assault charges were from the Spahn Ranch Raid. Besides GTA he was charged with assault (when LE woke him up and he reached for a gun). Notice from the booking sheet that both Manson and DeCarlo(Smith) have multiple charges.

http://www.lsb3.com/2011/04/booking-8-16-69.html?m=1

G. Greene-Whyte said...

That's really nice of you, ToF. Thank you. So Danny likely still has charges over his head when the Manson trial rolls around.

G. Greene-Whyte said...

Okay so he visits the Grand Jury in the days before Manson is arraigned.

starviego said...

TabOrFresca said...

Q: What was you job in the Coast Guard?
A: Weapons Instructor

Q: Did you have a military occupational specialty specialty frequently referred to as an MOS in guns or firearms?
A: Yes, I was a gunners mate in the Coast Guard.



I don't see a gunners mate or weapons instructor needing a top secret clearance. The Coast Guard--then as now, doesn't carry much in the way of weapons. A deck cannon is about as sophisticated as they get.

Unknown said...

I am unsure if it matters, but l have also seen his name listed as "DiCarlo."