Two Wildly Different Characters, One Remarkably Common Thread
What did Joe Benvenuti’s success have in common with Rock n Roll? Not a lot. But there was a time and a place where the intersection of entrepreneurial spirit and artistic revolution (or as Angelenos like to call it, La Cienaga and Sunset) formed one large melting pot of creation and debauchery. Its founder and my grandfather shared almost nothing in common—except perhaps for one thing.
If you haven’t already, watch the Apple TV documentary If These Walls Could Rock, adapted from the book of the same name co-written by author/filmmaker Craig Allen Williams and Mark Rosenthal, the son of Sunset Marquis Hotel developer George Rosenthal. You’ll be wildly entertained. Then re-read Chapter 19 of my book to find a striking similarity in how Rosenthal and Benvenuti got their respective starts in building. Haven’t read my book? You can see an excerpt here.