Los Angeles City has always been known as the neighborhood for famous Hollywood A-listers. While the city boasts the biggest names in the entertainment industry, one mansion stood above the rest due to the numerous celebrities who lived or at least became a guest in the said estate.
The Tuscan estate located at Holmby Hills is currently owned by Robert Shapiro - the American lawyer famous for being a part of the so-called "Dream Team" of lawyers who defended OJ Simpson's case in 1995.
According to the New York Post, Shapiro sold the historic Los Angeles mansion for a whopping $88 million. While it seems like a hefty amount, the closing deal was $2 million less than what the prominent lawyer paid for when he acquired the property in 2016. It is also nearly half the initial asking price when Shapiro first put up the property in the market in 2017.
Property Details
The Los Angeles mansion is situated at a 12,200 square-foot property that features nine bedrooms and ten bathrooms.
Architect Robert D. Farquhar built the famous house during the Great Depression in 1963. He commissioned it for Florence and Charles Quinn for $150,000. It was popularly known as "Owlwood estate" due to the numerous owl sighting on the property.
According to the listing, the house boasts a large master's suite, a generous wine room, and separate guest quarters. The wood-paneled home also features luxury stuff, including a marble fireplace, crystal chandeliers, hand-carved mantles, and 24-karat gold fixtures and fittings.
Outside the house's massive lawn lies a full-sized tennis court, an Olympic-size pool, a pool house, a landscaped patio, fruit tree garden.
Star-Studded History
The Los Angeles mansion is not only rich in grandeur amenities but also a historical background from the most prominent names who set foot in it. The juicy background started in the 1940s when it served as a love nest for then-21-year-old Marilyn Monroe and 20th Century Fox founder Joseph Schenck, who was married at that time.
In 1966, Monroe's rumored lover - Tony Curtis, bought the property and hosted lavish parties with celebrity guests.
In a 2010 interview before he passed away, the actor said Carolwood was the grandest house he has ever owned.
One of his guests includes pop duo Sonny and Cher, who were in awe of the property and bought it from Curtis in 1974 for $750,000. The team filmed a part of their TV show "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" during their stay in the Los Angeles mansion.
When the duo had a rocky relationship, CBS threatened to cancel the said show if one of them moved out of the house, leading Sonny and Cher to live in separate estate wings. Music industry mogul David Geffen moved in with Cher when the couple divorced in 1975. A few months after, they eventually sold the house.
Meanwhile, arms dealer Ghazi Aita also acquired the property in 1978 for $4.2 million and eventually sold it to Ameriquest Mortgage founder Roland Arnall in 2002. When Arnall died of cancer in March 2008, his widow sold the three-lot mansion to Shapiro in 2016.
