Stuart Sobel Author of ‘QUEEN BEE’ AND the KILLING OF “BUGSY” SIEGEL

This story, ``Queen Bee and the Killing of Bugsy Siegel”, although just under 100,000 words, becomes a quick read because of this technique of ‘each word having to sell’, ie, ‘no fluff.’ As it turns out, the ‘David Olen Advertising Agency’ would be the first and last employer Sobel would ever have. This was never planned, it just turned out that way.

Like many people in the 1970s, especially in Southern California, Sobel began his working career by purchasing an income property, initially with the money he had saved from odd jobs during his adolescent years, and then churning that into other purchases and sales of an income property. 

In 1977, he bought practically an entire city block in the quiet little town of Echo Park, located just ‘north-west’ of Downtown Los Angeles. He converted its 30-year-old free-standing buildings to accommodate the fledgling industry that he wanted to explore, that of ‘mini-storage.’  He christened it ‘THRIFTEE STORAGE CO.’ “Echo Park’s Favorite.” About 20 years later, he added the tagline “Since 1977.” On this site stood the first silent movie studio in Los Angeles.  It held the backlot of the original ‘Mack Sennett Studio.’ 

When a project interests him, he jumps into it head-first and gives it his best effort for success. As Sobel says, “If the project intrigues me, I go into it all the way.” He can now say with certainty, “Every article and book I’ve ever written, including ‘Queen Bee’ and the Killing of “Bugsy Siegel, A Crime Story. A Love Story and A Saga on Organized Crime in America!” was written on the back-lot of the Mack Sennett Studio.”