Carter Roy

She turned on the light and found a tall, frightening figure sitting on the lounge chair, waiting for her.

It was Lana's boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, a handsome man with dark hair and a Marine Corps physique.

People around LA knew him as Mickey Cohen's bodyguard, but Lana knew him as the boyfriend she couldn't leave.

No one knew that Johnny regularly beat Lana.

In the year they'd been dating, he'd threatened her life, her beauty, and even her family.

He once told Lana that if she ever left him, he'd have Cheryl kidnapped or killed.

Who knows how long Johnny waited in the hotel room that night, stewing in his anger.

Lana knew an argument was coming just by the furious look in his eye.

She also knew that Cheryl would be able to hear them from her room.

At this point, Cheryl was oblivious to the abuse.

she actually liked johnny lana wanted it to stay that way she tried to quell the fuming mobster they'll talk tomorrow she was tired from the festivities she needed to go to bed and so on and while she hid her shaking hands she then told johnny it was time for him to go home

His response was a slap to the face, followed by fists.

At one point, the back of Lana's head slammed into the wall.

It left her face swollen and her mind rattled and groggy.

When the rampage ended, Johnny forced Lana into bed, where they both lay awake for the rest of the night.

Lana frightened out of her mind and Johnny likely still seething.

And in the other room was Cheryl, hearing the abuse for the first time.

As we mentioned, Cheryl liked Johnny.

She appreciated that he didn't try to impress her like many of Lana's flings did.

And more importantly, he had a horse.