Found out a lady I have worked with for years was a member of the Manson family!
After working with one of my closest employees for years, we were talking about our past lives and she told me that she was a member of the Manson family in 1968 thru early 69. One of most interesting conversations I have ever had in my life. She was a runaway and met Manson in San Francisco in the spring of 68. Joined them for a time and went AWOL from them in the spring of 69 when, according to her, things changed and got very scary. She was particularly close to Squeaky Fromm and Susan Adkins, one of the Tate killers.
She said she ran away from Spahn Ranch where the Manson cult lived and moved in with a friend in Hollywood. She said when the Tate-Labionca murders happened, she heard about it on the news and had a horrible feeling it was Manson and some of her friends. She heard that Manson had sent some of his followers to look for her so, scared to death, she hitch-hiked back to Memphis, which is where her mom and brother lived.
She's now in her early 60s and is just a super lady. Beautiful too, even for her age.
Anyway, you just never know what people go through in their younger years. I could listen to her stories for hours. Just fascinating stuff.

I knew quite a few people there at that time. Probably no one connected to Manson, but I love talking to folks about those times in general. Those that are too young to remember it really have a hard time understanding what an awesome period that was. Those murders and Altamont really signalled the beginning of the end of that culture. Happy times if you were lucky enough to live it.

I remember the Manson murders as a child and find the entire thing fascinating, yet obviously tragic.

(08-06-2016 10:30 PM)450bench Wrote:  Found out a lady I have worked with for years was a member of the Manson family!
After working with one of my closest employees for years, we were talking about our past lives and she told me that she was a member of the Manson family in 1968 thru early 69. One of most interesting conversations I have ever had in my life. She was a runaway and met Manson in San Francisco in the spring of 68. Joined them for a time and went AWOL from them in the spring of 69 when, according to her, things changed and got very scary. She was particularly close to Squeaky Fromm and Susan Adkins, one of the Tate killers.
She said she ran away from Spahn Ranch where the Manson cult lived and moved in with a friend in Hollywood. She said when the Tate-Labionca murders happened, she heard about it on the news and had a horrible feeling it was Manson and some of her friends. She heard that Manson had sent some of his followers to look for her so, scared to death, she hitch-hiked back to Memphis, which is where her mom and brother lived.
She's now in her early 60s and is just a super lady. Beautiful too, even for her age.
Anyway, you just never know what people go through in their younger years. I could listen to her stories for hours. Just fascinating stuff.

That's amazing. Scary.

What a story that is!

My older brother attended the same school as Sharon Tate when we were stationed in Verona, Italy during the early sixties although she was about 6-7 years older than he. She was well known in Verona, she even had her picture on the cover of Stars and Stripes. She was an extra in the film Barabbas and one night my dad came home with several midget friends he made while they were filming and I recall them all talking about her. It was a surreal experience for me at age 7, I had never seen a midget and I saw some drunk ones that night.

It wasn't until we moved to Ft.Ord where my old man was at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio in Monterey when I was 11 that we heard of her again. That whole tragedy captivated my attention, like many others of that era.

So she snookered Manson?

My co-worker said that when she left the Manson family, Manson sent a group to look for her. She moved in with an acquaintance in west Hollywood and couldn't even leave the apartment for a time she was so scared. Said Experience was fun until Manson became paranoid and spoke of violence.

I have some family that lived very close to the Tate house in Benedict Canyon. I love it out there.

(08-09-2016 09:33 PM)450bench Wrote:  My co-worker said that when she left the Manson family, Manson sent a group to look for her. She moved in with an acquaintance in west Hollywood and couldn't even leave the apartment for a time she was so scared. Said Experience was fun until Manson became paranoid and spoke of violence.

I have some family that lived very close to the Tate house in Benedict Canyon. I love it out there.

That is a beautiful area.

Bryan Cranston grew up in the San Fernando Valley and he tells a story about a time when he crossed paths with Charles Manson horseback riding.