Million-Dollar Mansion of Notorious Gangster Bugsy Siegel Hits the Market
For a price tag of nearly $17 million, the lavish Bugsy Siegel murder mansion in Beverly Hills, California is now on the market. This magnificent seven-bedroom Spanish Colonial-style home located at 810 North Linden Drive is currently owned by Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Joel Aronowitz, MD, and Fiona Schalom.
The mansion gained its notoriety when mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot and killed there on June 20, 1947. It is believed that the hitman fired from 14 feet away with an M1 Carbine, killing Siegel with two shots to the head. The case was never solved.
Bugsy Siegel leased the home for his clandestine lover, Virginia Hill, who was a mob courier. The pair had a tumultuous relationship. They first met in New York in the 1930s and had begun their affair in earnest at George Raft’s house in Hollywood by 1939. Their intense pairing on the West Coast fused the interests of rival mob factions – Siegel’s ties to New York boss Charles “Lucky” Luciano, and Hill’s association with the Chicago Outfit’s Charles Fischetti and Fischetti’s Los Angeles boss, Jack Dragna.
Hill was Siegel's ideal woman in all respects and he showered her with gifts and money. However, their relationship was often volatile and Siegel was known to hit Hill during their frequent arguments. Despite this, they remained together until Siegel's murder in 1947.
Virginia Hill's life changed drastically after the murder of her lover. Being told by the Chicago Outfit to come back to Illinois, she flew to Paris and eventually made it back to the United States. She searched for a home in Reno, Nevada, and Spokane, Washington, but was being investigated by federal authorities for evading taxes on her cash income. She married Hans Hauser, a ski instructor, and they moved to the small South Hill neighborhood of Spokane. Their son, Peter, was born in 1950. Hill spent the rest of her life living in relative anonymity until her death in 1966.
The sensationalized murder of Siegel brought the home into the national headlines. The house has seen various owners since Siegel’s death and last changed hands in 2003. It is now listed with Myra Nourmand of Nourmand & Associates.
This lavish 7,000-square-foot home, boasting seven bedrooms and five bathrooms, was created with meticulous attention to detail by Joseph Fox and Sons. Its pristine white stucco facade, with its Spanish-tile roof, opens up to a two-story entryway, boasting original iron railings, intricately hand-painted tiles, and an impressive grand staircase - a classic beauty that will never go out of style.
The current owners are presenting an exclusive deal of $16.995 million on the house, taking into account its "stigmatized property" status. It's yet to be determined if someone will take advantage of this unique opportunity.
