He Was Mickey Cohen's Enforcer — Killed by a 14 Year Old Girl in a Beverly Hills

Johnny Stompanato was not a man anyone crossed lightly. A former Marine with a smile that could fill a room, he worked for Mickey Cohen — the most violent and feared mob boss in Los Angeles history. He was an enforcer. A fixer. The kind of man who made problems disappear. He had survived wars, mob warfare, and federal investigations. Nobody touched Johnny Stompanato. Until a 14 year old girl did. Stompanato first contacted Hollywood superstar Lana Turner in 1957 under a fake name — Johnny Steele. Flowers. Phone calls. Charm. By the time Turner found out who he really was she was already in too deep. Her friends warned her immediately. Mickey Rooney pulled her aside and told her exactly who Stompanato worked for. She didn't listen. She couldn't get out. What followed was a year of violence, control, and fear. Stompanato was possessive, explosive, and dangerous. He threatened to disfigure her face. He threatened her mother. He threatened her daughter. He had secretly filmed Turner in compromising situations and used the footage as leverage — not just over her but over her entire career. Mickey Cohen was waiting in the background for his cut. On the night of Good Friday April 4 1958 Turner finally tried to end it. Stompanato exploded. He screamed that he would destroy her face, her career, and everyone she loved. What he didn't know was that her 14 year old daughter Cheryl Crane was standing behind the bedroom door the entire time listening to every word. Cheryl ran downstairs. Grabbed an eight inch carving knife from the kitchen. Ran back up the stairs. The bedroom door flew open. Stompanato came toward her with his hand raised. She lifted the knife. He walked straight into it. He looked at her and said — My God Cheryl what have you done. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Mickey Cohen's most feared enforcer — killed by a teenage girl with a kitchen knife in a Beverly Hills bedroom on Good Friday. The coroner ruled it justifiable homicide. Cheryl was exonerated. But the questions never went away. Two women were in that room. The story changed three times before police arrived. And one detail nobody could explain — Lana Turner had purchased a brand new carving knife from a hardware store that same morning. The official story closed the case. Hollywood never really believed it. #JohnnyStompanato #LanaTurner #CherylCrane #MickeyCohen