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The King of the Sunset Strip: Hangin' With Mickey Cohen And the Hollywood Mobx$6.93
  (23 reviews)
Best Price: $6.93
Who would have thought that an acting career that began as a teenage star in the "Annette" series on The Mickey Mouse Club, Walt Disney's Zorro, The Roy Rogers Show, and That's My Mom would lead to the role of confidante and assistant to Southern California crime-boss Mickey Cohen? King of the Sunset Strip is a pistol-to-the-side-of-your-head Hollywood story. Beginning with the parties, boozing, and sex and the "good-time" macho whoring and gambling of the mob, the story covers the action in Sunset Boulevard penthouses, Beverly Hills mansions, Brentwood estates, and across state lines to Las Vegas. Steve Stevens takes his readers down the palm-lined streets of Hollywood to meet film and entertainment giants like Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Louis Prima, Robert Mitchum, and many more. Stevens's relationship with Cohen began as a friendship and deteriorated into witnessing bloody beatings by Cohen, crime-scene drive-bys, and much more. Peppered with familiar celebrity names and faces from film, TV, and organized crime, this classic Hollywood tale reads like a box-office script. After Mickey Cohen was arrested on charges of income-tax evasion, gangsters hustled Stevens out of California to a remote ranch in Nevada and ordered him to stay in hiding. During Cohen's trial, Stevens remained quiet while Cohen was eventually sentenced to Alcatraz. Beginning with the casting call that resulted in Stevens's association with Cohen, King of the Sunset Strip takes readers through the exciting story to the curtain call that eventually led him out of the life of crime.
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Customer Reviews
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Dishin'-da-Doit
By AVXG1FHO94O8B on 2006-06-11
Foist tings foist...so lissen up youse guy'z....and dis means youse !
Wassamatta youse?
Aint'cha never hoid 'bout da TROOF bein' stranger dan fiction ?
Here's da straight poop:
Dis is da REAL deal.
Dese dudes Lockwood and Stevens wuz dere, ya dig?
Dis dude Stevens real life adventure was scarier den any "reel" life Disney adventure !
Dis dude Stevens coulda been sleepin wif da fishes....but he wuz da one what got away...
Dis wuz no "aud call"...dis wuz a real CLOSE CALL !
Dead men don't wear no plaid, and dey don't live ta dish-da-doit and write no kiss'n'tell books, yanno?
Hey...lemme clue ya....DAT pretty much s'plains why youse ain't never read "nothing published before" nowheres 'bout Stevens and Cohen and da inside dope on dis kinda stuff neither....till NOW.
CAPEESH !!!!
Dis book's on fire...'s too HOT to handle, 'ceptin' you jus' can't put it down !
Dese dudes Lockwood and Stevens oughtta knock out da screenplay of dis book....and den mebbe dat Stevens bambino gonna hafta star innit. Mebbe dat Stevens oughtta get even wif da mob and gonna hafta play Uncle Mickey.
Mebbe da movie's gonna be one helluva blockbuster, 'cuz if it's anyting like dis here book it's gonna be jus' like youse wuz bein' dere !
Tanx for one HELLUVA ticket ta ride !
Hollywood Blonde
Don't start it late at night . . .
By A1XAHZZWPCAMHB on 2006-05-30
. . . unless you want to lose sleep. Once I started reading, I found I didn't want to put it down until I was done. With all the famous names connected with the story, I felt like I was watching a movie while I read it. A totally different view of Hollywood Glamour meeting Hollywood Mob. Everybody loves a celebrity, and if they can't be one, they want to know one, or know somebody who knows one - and Mickey Cohen was no different. It was easy to see how and why a young man could get seduced by the power surrounding someone like Cohen, and, knowing he was bad, still find it hard to break away. Lucky for Stevens, he lived through it, and was able to tell his story.
Better than a Whole Stack of Annette Photos
By ABKYT5A66GCYP on 2006-06-06
Funny, frightening, and for real, KING OF THE SUNSET STRIP is a whirlwind tour through Hollywood fame and infamy in the early 1960s and a great read. I've always wanted to plant a time machine on the corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights and travel back through time to see the comings and goings at Schwab's and elsewhere on the Sunset Strip. Stevens and Lockwood made the time machine unnecessary. What starts out as an irreverent teen star bio morphs rapidly into a darkly terrifying nightmare for Stevens in which the blood and violence is very real. Fortunately the journey is lightened by Stevens' self-deprecating humorous asides. The book is a true story that shows that the more innocent times we sometimes long for were not as innocent as they seemed.
Well worth reading
By A24M33QDOALIA2 on 2006-05-24
It is nice to read a Crime book with a fresh approach. A new cast of characters, not the old rehash of Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bugs Moran etc. Stevens and Lockwood take us into a world that very few of us have experienced, intertwining the Hollywood Mob and Show Business. This is a scary and sexy tale of a teenager's journey into the world of public enemy number one Mickey Cohen and his 'boys'. I enjoyed this read, and it would make a great movie.
Refreshing
By AKUURPDPR1FWT on 2006-05-31
In an era of overhyped mobfathers, Stevens takes us back to a bygone era when the underworld meant mystery and intrigue. For anyone not expecting earth shattering revelations such as who shot Kennedy or where Jimmy Hoffa was buried are in for a real treat. A most entertaining trip down memory lane via the mind and imagination of Steve Stevens. One of the most endearing qualities of this book is the ability of the author to paint a vivid picture of each characters unique personality. You almost get a feeling that you are reading a film script instead of a non-fiction crime story. I highly recommend this title for its entertainment value and readability. If you want specifics you'd be better off reading one of the older titles on Cohen but this one is by far the most entertaining and unique.
- "Once you start reading this book, you won't put it down"
By A3DTYND6F6ZF86 on 2006-06-05
KING OF THE SUNSET STRIP is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. A coming of age story of a young man with so much going for him, winds up in the Hollywood Mob and hanging out with public enemy number one - Mickey Cohen. It is written with humor, but the threat of death for this young man is always just around the corner. I also liked the history of Hollywood and it's hangouts in the late 50's and early 60's. It put me right there on the Sunset Strip with this young man and Mickey Cohen. A fascinating journey back in time and history.
- Great read
By A3ERUD6QQQLOL on 2006-06-12
This is an extremely interesting book, knowing Steve helps and made it even more meaningful to me. Also knowing Steve I can tell the one (only one) poor review that he, the reviewer, doesn't know what he's talking about. If Steve says this happened, trust me it happened and just this way. Steve's a real straight shooter. Love it and would highly recommend it. I just got my copy today and have already read several chapters. Its habit forming reading. Great job Steve and Craig.
- Hollywoodland
By A2F2IB8YVYHCGE on 2006-06-12
This book gives us an unprecedented and rarified view at close-range of how it must have been for a handsome young Hollywood heart-throb trying to make his way in the movies. An eager young actor gets much more than he expected when he answers a fateful casting call. Instead of a Disney soundstage this story takes place on the sordid backstreets of some of Hollywood's more lurid locales. It is an intriguing, albeit frightening tell-all. A real page turner, that would make an equally fine screenplay. Clearly retired doctor "Bennie" is jealous of Mr. Stevens and his movie career, and most likely of the author's extraordinary luck with America's # 1 sweetheart Annette. Out of spite, he gives the actor,and not the book, a poor review. Proof that retired doctors should stick to reviewing medical journals.
- Whatta Ride!
By A25BGWSA7WASRL on 2006-06-05
I loved reading this book and I don't read! This book was suggested to me by a friend who knows both of the authors and I am an avid fan of the Original Mickey Mouse Club and have seen the Annette serial many times. Having these interests, I bought the book and couldn't put it down. I really, really, really enjoyed it and I want to thank both Steve and Craig for the great ride hanging wit' da mob. Whatta great book and I give it 5 stars. Cherry from da Valley
- Only in Hollywood
By A2BTDPPU8F4BNS on 2006-06-15
Whether everything's on the level here or not I have no idea but in the neverland of Hollywood it doesn't surprise me that an ex-Mouseketeer could be drawn into the shadowy and dangerous circle of colorful mobster Mickey Cohen. It is a vastly entertaining read, however, and would make a cool movie.
- Not much here
By A24XTPAEY5H15Z on 2006-05-22
This self-serving memoir relies on unrealistic dialogue created from events forty or more years prior. It is difficult to accept that mob boss Mickey Cohen would share so much of his activities and cronies with a teenage heart throb. Mickey was known as a big spender, and was a Hollywood mainstay, more often in the company of celebrities and politicians. Nothing published before mentions the authors' relationship. Hollywood history buffs and true crime aficionados might pass on this one.
- HOLLYWOOD CONFIDENTIAL
By A25IVUIFF4SO8A on 2006-07-26
My Mama always said that truth was stranger than fiction and this personal memoir certainly offers a riveting ride through the mean streets of Tinseltown circa 1959 as no work of fiction could possibly do.
Because the events and characters are real and not fiction, the reader feels true chills and thrills as the authors take us through the highs and lows experienced by a very young and impressionable 19 year-old actor trying to keep his balance through the surreal and sometimes violent events that he unexpectedly gets caught up in. Especially interesting are his descriptions of how he innocently became involved with top mobster Mickey Cohen and how Cohen drew him into his world, bit by bit.
This book reads like a Sam Spade thriller and would make for a great film noir.
- steves' scenario
By A15AQM9217AWVF on 2006-07-26
I have known Steve for 10 years and after reading, "The King of the Sunset Strip," I realize I never knew him until now. This is an in-depth look into the rise of a young actor, who tasted the fruits, of stardom,and through it, came close to celebrating an early demise,in both his film career and his association, with the living. He is a survivor, of the "Old Hollywood,' and a sentinel, for the up and coming young actors, of today.
A must read!
- One story you shouldn't miss!
By A1YZ3IJXI2J119 on 2006-08-24
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/06)
Steve Stevens was raised in Hollywood and had a promising acting career when he was still a teen. Mobster Mickey Cohen, also known as, "The King of Sunset Strip," took an interest in Stevens when he was in his late teens. Having a rich, famous gangster take a liking to you while you are still struggling is a very easy way to fall in with the wrong crowd. Initially, Stevens enjoyed the notoriety of being associated with this famous gangster, but after a time he saw a lot of things that he didn't want to see and realized that it wasn't helping his career or friendships. He was also asked to do things that stepped outside of the law. Stevens began to feel trapped in this situation and needed to find a way out without facing the consequences of offending Mickey.
"The King of the Sunset Strip" is a great story. It flows well in its style and is definitely not another dry autobiography. I got caught up in Stevens' life and adventures, and really enjoyed reading about glamorous, old Hollywood and the stars back in the day. It was unsettling to read about the things Mickey did, and know that it was true. Mickey's notoriety made his lifestyle seem glamorous, but really he was not a very nice person. He did things for others, especially Stevens, with the expectation that he would be getting things done for him in return. Cohen would buy people's loyalty. When he thought he was betrayed, he was brutal. When Cohen began to be brought down, Stevens was able to make his escape. He was not able to get all of his friends back, but he did manage to succeed in Hollywood and he managed to live to tell his story.
This is a great book for people who are interested in the Hollywood stories during its heyday. You will read about interactions with famous people such as Frank Sinatra, Annette Funicello, Rick Nelson, Don Rickles and Red Skelton. Pictures are interspersed throughout the book, so you can see the people that you are reading about. I like how this was done, because usually the pictures are all lumped into the middle section of a book. It isn't just the people that are interesting to read about, you also learn about Hollywood in the 1950's. You get to visit places like, "The Brown Derby," and to journey down Sunset Strip. This is one story that you shouldn't miss!
- COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN
By A3SV1CHFF1QK7Z on 2006-07-23
I don't usually read this type of book. I bought it because Steve is a close friend.
Not expecting too much, I brought the book with me on a business trip and found, much to my delight, that I just couldn't put it down.
I know Steve well enough to believe the story line. What makes this such a good story is Steve's sense of humor and Craig's writing style. The combination is absolutely awesome.
A thoroughly enjoyable read! Thanks to you both!
- Hollywood in the Fifties Gangster Style
By A313C4JO15HH3Y on 2007-04-02
Steve Stevens was a young teen in the fifties trying to be a movie star. Mickey Cohen was a famous gangster at the time and befriended Steve because he was a teen actor and because he knew Annette Funiciello. It seems that everyone wanted a signed photo of Annette and Steve was accommodating Mickey's gang members with these requests. Steve called him his Uncle Mickey. However, you would not want an Uncle like this. Steve became involved in the crime part of Mickey's life in an almost too innocent way and barely escaped with his life. Steve was John Ashley's roommate for a time and both were lucky that they did not get killed. This is a great fifties story and the best part is that it is a true and scary inside look at just what kind of sociopath Mickey Cohan really was.
- Not Sure What All The Accolades Are About
By A2ZMJAZ9LCGY93 on 2008-03-12
It's not as if this book is good or bad. What is surprising is the overwhelming positive reviews, as if backed up by the author's own fan club. Some of the book is insightful. What I don't get is the fawning over the author and his past as if he was a real movie star or player in Hollywood folklore. As for his relationship with Mickey Cohen, who knows how much is fact and how much is an embelishment? Regardless, the book has its moments, and the relationship between actor and mob guy is entertaining.
- Truth May Be Stranger Than Fiction
By A1TT5T47AVDDBM on 2008-05-28
But where does one draw the line? There is an enlightening disclaimer in the opening Authors Note: It states that "sequences of events... have gone through memory's filter". That is the perfect focus through which to view "King of the Sunset Strip". A young actor, Steve Stevens, somehow falls into the circle of LA mobster Mickey Cohen. Stevens never rises above the rank of gopher but that low level affiliation is dangerous enough. This is starkly obvious when Mickey's Boys brutally rough up a neighbor who was hassling the author's Dad. Readers will get a whirlwind tour of late 50s and early 60s LA: The Brown Derby, Schwab's Pharmacy, Dino's, among others. There is no doubt the author hung in those establishments. Capos Phil Packer, Fred and Joe Sica are authentic enough and the author's friendship with Annette Funicello was genuine. Yet, one strains to take KSS at face value: Some of the characters are probably composites. The events do not seem to follow a straight sequence. One suspects Stevens has compressed multiple incidents into a manageable few. The 4 star review is a compromise between the 3 it rates as a believable story and the 5 it deserves as entertaining fiction. KSS is definitely quick reading. This very slow reading reviewer finished it is one sluggish day at work. Previous reviewers have stated that they "couldn't put KSS down". Readers won't have to, since the pages will fly by. For pure entertainment, KSS will satisfy. Other reviewers have mentioned movie possibilities. That is a winning concept, though the studio would have to take pains to recreate the LA of the era-a "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" with real people.
- Hard to put down
By A3DUNH2PDKEJ0B on 2008-06-07
The New York mob has been written about and expounded upon ad infinitum/nauseum, so it's nice to see a book that revolves around the West Coast mob, which has comparatively less written coverage. This book grabs you from the first page and doesn't release it's grip until the last. The pacing is excellent. It's one of the most absorbing organized crime books I've ever read(and I've read a lot)and one of the few I've seen that isn't marred by pages upon pages of exhaustive, boring detail about every single scam and racket perpetrated by the criminals(which, in my opinion, horribly slowed the pace of Jimmy Fratianno's book "The Last Mafiosi" and Nick Pileggi's "Wiseguy").
I've lived in Los Angeles for 40+ years and this book really brought the City of Angels to life, capturing a time and mood that can never be repeated or duplicated. The rancid underbelly of the Hollywood dream is laid bare in all it's ambiguous glory.
Get this book!
- Young actor meets Uncle Mickey
By A258JYGTIRWZU7 on 2006-09-21
This book is an account of a young actor who through a fleeting encounter with the tough, violent criminal known as Mickey Cohen decides he would like to pursue a friendship with his new Uncle Mickey and gradually finds himself drawn into a dark, violent and unpredictable world with unexpected and unpleasant consequences.
At first the life and power of Uncle Mickey is attractive as the author meets all kinds of celebrities and enjoys glamorous restaurants and clubs as he beomes Uncle Mickey's errand boy and earns plenty of easy dollars. Then reality sets in as old friends steer clear of him and some try to warn him. A young hooker is viciously used and bashed as a sexual plaything by an out of town mobster whom Stevens is driving around town at the request of Uncle Mickey. Stevens is also on the receiving end of two nasty beatings first by Uncle Mickey then by the LAPD. Finally when the police bring down the heat on Cohen and are able to have him put away in jail for a long time, Stevens breaks free from the criminal world fringes and puts his life back together in his normal world and makes a great career for himself. Uncle Mickey however, after release from prison dies a broken, poor old man.
The author does a great job in his descriptions of LA, Hollywood and the acting world of the 1950's as this period of time comes alive for the reader. Overall well worth the read
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