Eddie Nash was a notorious nightclub owner, restaurateur, and drug dealer in Los Angeles, who was allegedly involved in the brutal Wonderland murders of 1981. He died in 2014 at the age of 85, but what was his cause of death and how did he escape justice for his crimes?
Contents
Early Life and Rise to Power
Eddie Nash was born Adel Gharib Nasrallah in Ramallah, Palestine, in 1929. His family were wealthy Orthodox Christian Palestinians who owned 48 hotels before the creation of Israel in 1948. After his family was displaced to a refugee camp and his brother-in-law was killed by Israeli soldiers, Nash fled to the United States in the early 1950s with only $7 in his pocket.
He settled in Los Angeles, where he briefly worked as an actor and stuntman, and even appeared in an episode of the Western series The Cisco Kid. In the 1960s, he opened a hot dog stand on Hollywood Boulevard, which was the beginning of his empire. By the 1970s, he owned several nightclubs and restaurants in Los Angeles, such as the P.J.’s club (later renamed Starwood), the Soul’d Out club, the Odyssey disco, the Paradise Ballroom, the Seven Seas, Ali Baba’s, and The Kit Kat strip club.
Nash’s clubs attracted diverse groups of people, from celebrities to gangsters, from gays to heterosexuals, from teenagers to African Americans. He was known for his lavish parties, generous hospitality, and extravagant lifestyle. He also became involved in the cocaine trade, which made him even richer and more powerful. He reportedly had assets worth over $30 million at his peak.
The Wonderland Murders
Nash’s downfall began in 1981, when he was robbed by a group of drug dealers known as the Wonderland Gang. The gang was led by Ron Launius, who dominated the Los Angeles cocaine market. A key player in the robbery was John C. Holmes, a famous porn star who played the X-rated character Johnny Wadd. Holmes was a friend of Nash, but also a cocaine addict who owed money to Launius.
Holmes helped the gang plan the robbery by leaving a sliding door unlocked at Nash’s home on June 29, 1981. The gang entered Nash’s home via the unlocked door, held him and his bodyguard at gunpoint, and stole his drugs, jewelry, and money. They also humiliated Nash by making him beg for his life on his knees.
Nash quickly suspected Holmes was involved in the robbery, as he had been at his home that morning. He also learned that the gang had taken some of his personal items, such as a gold chain with a Star of David pendant and a ring with an Arabic inscription. He hired some thugs to track down Holmes and bring him back to his home.
There, Nash allegedly tortured Holmes until he confessed and revealed the location of the Wonderland Gang’s hideout at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon. Nash then sent some of his men to exact revenge on the gang. On July 1, 1981, four members of the gang were found bludgeoned to death in their home. The crime scene was so gruesome that it was compared to the Manson murders of 1969.
The Trials and Acquittals
The police soon arrested Holmes as a suspect in the murders, as they found his palm print on one of the victims’ headboards. Holmes claimed that he was forced by Nash to accompany his men to the Wonderland house and watch them kill the gang members. He also implicated Nash as the mastermind behind the murders.
However, Holmes’ testimony was not enough to convict Nash, who had powerful connections and influence in Los Angeles. Nash was arrested several times and tried twice for the murders, but each time he was acquitted by juries who were either intimidated or bribed by him.
Holmes was also acquitted of the murders in 1982 but was convicted of burglary for his role in robbing Nash’s home. He served four years in prison before being released in 1986. He died of AIDS-related complications in 1988.
The Final Years and Death
Nash continued to run his nightclubs and drug business until he was arrested again in 1990 on federal racketeering charges. He pleaded guilty to money laundering and drug trafficking and served two years in prison before being released in 1992.
In 2000, he was arrested once more on charges of running a drug ring from his home and ordering a hit on a witness. He agreed to a plea bargain deal in 2001, where he admitted to bribing jurors during his first trial for the Wonderland murders and having prior knowledge of them. He also pleaded guilty to RICO charges and money laundering.
He received a sentence of four years and nine months in prison, but was released after serving less than two years due to his poor health. He had emphysema, tuberculosis, and a steel plate in his head. He also had lost part of his sinus cavity and one of his lungs due to his cocaine abuse.
Nash died on August 9, 2014, at his home in Los Angeles. His cause of death was reportedly natural causes, although some speculated that he may have committed suicide by overdosing on drugs. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
Conclusion
Eddie Nash was one of the most notorious figures in Los Angeles history, who rose from a humble immigrant to a wealthy and powerful nightclub owner and drug dealer. He was also allegedly the mastermind behind the brutal Wonderland murders, which shocked the city and the nation. He died in 2014 at the age of 85, after escaping justice for his crimes for decades. His life story was the inspiration for several books and movies, such as Wonderland (2003) and Boogie Nights (1997).
