Manson Family LaBianca 1969 infamous Los Angeles coin collector murder
WillieBoyd2
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On August 10, 1969, the Los Angeles couple Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were found murdered at their home by Rosemary's adult children. Leno LaBianca was a wealthy coin collector who owned a large collection of rare United States coins.
The unknown killers had left a violent crime scene with words carved onto the two bodies with knives and written on the refrigerator in their blood the words "Helter Skelter", the title of a song.
The police found a metal case full of coin collector items and a gallon jar full of coins.
Police photograph (1) of Leno LaBianca's coin collection
The book is A Guide to the Grading of United States Coins by Martin R. Brown and John W. Dunn, Fourth Edition published in 1964. The book below it appears to be a "Red Book" or A Guide Book of United States Coins by R. S. Yeoman, which has been published yearly since 1947.
Police photograph (2) of Leno LaBianca's coin collection
The coin albums appear similar to the "Library of Coins" albums with plastic inserts. Also seen are some modern United States Mint proof sets.
The LaBiancas were a wealthy couple, Leno owned a grocery store while Rosemary owned a dress shop. Both had adult children from previous marriages.
The police did not connect the LaBianca murders with murder the previous night of five people including actress Sharon Tate, Polish writer Wojciech Frykowski, Folger's Coffee heiress Abigail Folger, hairstylist Jay Sebring, and a teenage boy named Steven Parent. Reporters and others did connect the two crimes due to the savagery of the killings and the writing on the walls in blood and they were given the name the "Tate-LaBianca Murders".
Leno LaBianca was a serious coin collector who owned a collection valued at over $20,000. The fact that Leno was a numismatist was widely known by his friends and relatives.
The police concluded that theft was not a motive for the murders as many valuable and easily fenced items were left by the intruders, but they had to investigate Leno's coin collecting activities anyway.
In 1967 Leno showed another friend the collection including three suitcases full of uncirculated silver dollars which had a face value of $3,000. Leno also had several books full of various coins. $400 in uncirculated nickels were recovered from the trunk of Leno's vehicle.
The police found notes and business cards at the LaBianca home from numismatic organizations and coin dealers. They contacted the secretary of the American Numismatic Association of which Leno was a member. Also visited were several Los Angeles coin dealers.
The Coin Gallery Coin Shop owner told police that he had no transactions with Leno LaBianca.
The Superior Coin and Stamp Shop owner told police that he had numerous business transactions with Leno LaBianca. Leno had purchased many thousands of dollars of coins and the last purchase was in 1965 or 1966. This transaction involved approximately $5,000 worth of coins.
The Los Feliz Coin Shop owner was an acquaintance of Leno LaBianca. He stated that he went to the LaBianca residence in January 1969 and appraised a part of Leno's collection at $10,000 and described Leno's collection as "mint coins", both foreign and domestic. He sold a very rare 1909-S Indian Head penny to Leno for $250.
The police found that Leno's neighbor was being investigated by the IRS for tax evasion of more than $100,000 and they found at his residence a collection of foreign coins and off-set [error?] minted coins.
In October 1969, the LaBianca detectives checked with the Los Angeles Sheriff's office about possible similar crimes. They learned of the murder of a Gary Hinman where there was also writing on the walls in blood. They also learned that the Hinman detectives had spoken with the girlfriend of one of the Hinman murder suspects who had been arrested a few days earlier with members of a group called the "Manson Family" for automobile theft.
The "Manson Family" was a group of young people who lived on a motion picture ranch in Los Angeles. The group was named after their leader, a 34 year old ex-convict named Charles Manson. Police later connected the "Manson Family" to the Hinman, Tate, and LaBianca murders, as well as many others.
It was found that some members of the Family had visited the house next door to the LaBianca's house several times in 1968 as the then resident was a friend.
Charles Manson appears to have been acting as a coin dealer as he sent two family members to London in 1968 to sell some rare coins and silver dollars. One returned to the United States and the other was found murdered in a London hotel room, again with blood messages on walls.
A Family member told police that after she returned from the LaBianca house, Leslie Van Houten, one of the LaBianca suspects, showed her eight dollars in change in a plastic sack. Because of Leno LaBianca's coin collection, the detectives were interested in the bag of change. The member told them that some of the coins she saw were from Canada.
The "Manson Murders" dominated the news for months. The story had everything from the movie industry to coin collecting. The criminal trials of the alleged killers went on for years. Charles Manson and Family members Charles Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten were convicted of committing the LaBianca murders. Charles Manson died in prison in 2017 and the other three are still in California prisons.
Somewhere the LaBianca 1909-S Indian Head Cent is still out there. As professional coin grading and serial numbered slabs were far in the future in 1969, it would be almost impossible to locate. Some coin collector probably has the coin without knowing it's history.
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Comments
Interesting post, and thanks for that info.
I actually drove up Ceilio (sp?) Drive with some buddies about
8-10 months after the Tate Murders. LAPD was at the house,
24/7, and when we got stopped and I.D.'d by the police, they
told us that they were there, because they thought some other
Manson followers would come back to the Tate house and turn
it into a' memorial' to Charles Manson.
We had to wait about 5-10 minutes while they checked with
headquarters with our Drivers License's. Then they tersely
told us to leave and to not come back up this street again.
It was a crazy year here in LA after both of those murder scenes.
The LaBianca house just sold this past week.
Fascinating article, thanks!
Collector of randomness. Photographer at PCGS. Lover of Harry Potter.
Never knew about the coin connection to the Manson murders, very fascinating and interesting information, thanks for taking the time to share.
The Penny Lady®
Wow, thanks for posting this. I was outside of their gate just the other day too.
EAC 6024
I never knew Leno LaBianca was an avid coin collector... interesting.
I have always had a morbid fascination with the case.
The new Quentin Tarantino movie ' Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' is coming out in 8 days, exactly 50 years to the day of the Tate murders.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
interesting news and story
I saw the movie Tuesday night. A very Quentin Tarantino twist on "what could of been" ending.
Alan Weinberg (no relation), famous early US coinage collector, emailed me this, and said I could post it:
"in early 1971, a day after I started as a rookie patrolman in the Hollywood Division (LAPD), my first training
officer, Chuck Toney, drove me over to the Waverly Drive LaBianca house, and pointed it out, telling me he
was the 1st Officer on the scene, discovering the murders in 1969......
....years later my wife and I acquired and own rental properties on Waverly Drive just down the street from
the LaBianca house. Only today did I learn Leno L. was a serious numismatist like I was back then"
And, for accuracy - Alan W. says the spelling is: Lobianco
At that time, I was just preparing to move to Barbados... worked and lived there for three years. I had heard about the murders (all of them)... but missed all the trials etc. since I was so far removed.... Moved to Portugal after that for two years, so even more disconnected with U.S. news....Cheers, RickO
Summer of '69...the lunar landing, Woodstock, Chappaquiddick and the Manson murders.
Eight years ago I bought this from a forum member. I never asked where he got it.
Lance.
When I first met you in 1973 you had a LOT of hair and a LOT of beard. Just sayin' Fred.
Yea, to the LAPD I might have looked
'suspicious' in that particular driveway !
I was 14 at the time, I still grieve for Sharon Tate and the others.
One of the LaBianca killers, Leslie Van Houten, was released after spending 53 years in prison.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
From today’s LA Times
Very fascinating guys.
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.Thanks for the bump!!!!
I am a newer collector (started April 2020), and I primarily focus on U.S. Half Cents and Type Coins. Early copper is my favorite.
Never knew about this!
Sharon Tate played Janet Trego on The Beverly Hillbillies, and Buddy Ebson was a coin collector. Strange coincidence.
Edit @Ikeigwin that IHC looks pretty suspicious.
Amazing how these older posts get revisited and revised.
Yes this one is a current news topic, but @WillieBoyd2 how did you even find this in the forum from 2019 to bump it - good grief.
Just shows you nothing ever goes away once posted …
Great story tho! Read all the way before I realized it was 4 years old
Ah - never mind you were the original poster - that makes more sense
Thanks again
I was 20 years old, one of the best years for me. The Knicks, Mets, and Jets all won championships. Pre marriage, not so great for some others.......Never came out that Leno was a coin collector, at least as best I can remember.
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
This brings back bad memories. Early AM right after the Sharon Tate murders, before anyone discovered what happened, six of us were doing a long run up Benedict Canyon, in Beverly Hills. It was going to be hot that day, so we started very early.
It was quiet. All we heard was our breathing and footsteps. No traffic. No one around. About a mile up from Sunset, on a little street to the west, about 100 yards into said street, we heard a door slam. That night, the Sharon Tate murders were all over the news. That little street to the west was Cielo Drive. The door slam was from the Tate home. Much later, we pieced together this was the maid opening the door, having no idea what was inside.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
It is a bit more complicated than that. After all of the dust settled (as well as considering Van Houten was tried separately twice, after a mistrial and release originally), it does not appear she murdered anyone. She was definitely an accessory though. And she was guilty of corpse mutilation. Since she did not kill and Charlie had told Tex that they all needed to do something (a frustration over Linda Kasabian the prior night), he had her stab the dead Rosemary LaBianca's body (lower back). Regardless, her participation was definitely different than the others and far less than many involved in murders who didn't serve half a century. She would have gotten out years ago had it not been for the political opportunities/liabilities for governors who reversed the parole board's recommendations.
Wow, that’s an incredible story… what a bizarre feeling that must’ve been.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Never knew about the Manson murders?
Wow, I'm getting old.
The first murder occured 49 years ago, not too surprised people don't know about them anymore. Did the Manson murders get a true-crime on Netflix?
The substantial truth doctrine is an important defense in defamation law that allows individuals to avoid liability if the gist of their statement was true.
It was almost 54 years ago
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Oh, my google-fu is weak.
The substantial truth doctrine is an important defense in defamation law that allows individuals to avoid liability if the gist of their statement was true.
The crime scene photos depicted the horror.
Very interesting. I never knew anything about the coin angles.
Many do not know of his music.