written by Chip Jacobs

For buffs of obscure, possibly arcane, L.A. history, The Ascension of Jerry is a title for your shelf. The story of interior designer-turned- MTA gadfly is one that resonates to this day: the Hollywood Blvd. sinkhole made by the MTA, the needle exchange "shops" set up by council-thing Jackie Goldberg, and the very design of the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard between Vine Street and Highland Avenue were all significantly influenced by Jerry Schneiderman.

How it all came about was the 1979 murder of Schneiderman's business partner, Richard Kasparov.

It was on a dark and stormy night in the San Fernando Valley when three men crept up to Kasparov's bedroom window and watched as he lay naked with a rather attractive woman; both were fresh from a bout of sex that appeared far from over. As Kasparov lay on the woman's lap, his head exploded from the .30 bullet from an M-1 rifle.

The three men were led by Kasparaov's ad hoc third business "partner," Howard Garrett a man whose past was shrouded in secrecy owing to the string of murders, torture, home invasions, and extortion was soon revealed. Moreover, Garrett had discovered Kasparov's own secret —that of a hidden construction company by which the latter was embezzling funds from Space Matters, the interior design firm —and exploited it murderously.

Absent from the book are photos, which was disappointing; it is a fascinating story despite the omission.

Rare Bird Lit www.RareBirdLit.com