Mama Cass Elliot (Pt. 2): Rape, Murder, and Taking Secrets to the Grave

Summary

DISGRACELAND Episode Summary: "Mama Cass Elliot (Pt. 2): Rape, Murder, and Taking Secrets to the Grave"

Introduction to Mama Cass Elliot's Turbulent Life

In the second installment of the "Mama Cass Elliot" series, Double Elvis Productions delves deeper into the darker aspects of Mama Cass Elliot's life, exploring her intricate connections within Hollywood, her entanglements with the infamous Charles Manson, and the tragic events surrounding the Manson Family murders. This episode unpacks decades-old secrets, shedding light on the myths and truths that have shrouded Cass's legacy.

Cass's Relationship with the Manson Family and Hollywood Elite

Cass Elliot's life was a web of complex relationships with both victims and perpetrators associated with the Manson Family. As host Jake Brennan explains, Cass's connections extended beyond personal friendships to include interactions with Hollywood's elite, creating a backdrop of hedonism and secrecy. At [05:20], Brennan narrates, “Cass introduced her boyfriends, Pick and Billy, to Sharon and Roman Polanski, intertwining her personal life with the tumultuous events that would soon unfold at Cielo Drive.”

The Night of the Manson Family Murders: Unveiling Hidden Agendas

The episode meticulously reconstructs the events leading up to the infamous murders at the Polanski-Tate residence on Cielo Drive. At [12:15], Brennan describes the chaotic scene: “Bodies were everywhere, all twisted up together on the furniture, the carpeted floor, up against the walls. The blonde worked on the broad-shouldered bald dude with the Zorro mask.” This vivid portrayal underscores the sinister atmosphere and the orchestrated nature of the gatherings that night.

Billy Doyle's Assault: A Catalyst for Vengeance

One of the pivotal moments discussed is the brutal assault of Billy Doyle, one of Cass's boyfriends, orchestrated by Wojtek Frykowski. At [30:27], Brennan recounts, “Billy stood in a rage with one thing on his mind. Killing Wojtek Frykowski.” This violent incident is portrayed as a significant motivator behind the subsequent revenge killings carried out by the Manson Family, challenging the widely accepted Helter Skelter motive proposed by Vincent Bugliosi.

Debunking the Myth Surrounding Cass Elliot's Death

A substantial portion of the episode is dedicated to dispelling the long-standing misconception that Cass Elliot died from asphyxiation due to choking on a ham sandwich. At [25:50], Brennan reveals, “Cass Elliot did not die choking on a ham sandwich. It was a case of poor health from a life of near-constant drug and alcohol abuse.” He further explains that the actual cause of death was misrepresented by authorities who omitted critical evidence, such as the missing tranquilizers and cocaine, misleading the public narrative for nearly five decades.

Hidden Motives and Hollywood's Paranoia Post-Murder

The episode explores alternative theories regarding the motives behind the Manson Family murders, suggesting that personal vendettas rooted in drug deals and public humiliation were more plausible drivers than the orchestrated race war theory. At [28:45], Brennan posits, “What the public didn’t know was that Pick and Billy felt wronged by Wojtek’s actions, leading to desires for personal revenge that fueled the murders.”

Additionally, the episode highlights Hollywood's frenzied paranoia following the murders, with legends like Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen reportedly increasing their security measures out of fear. This collective anxiety is contextualized as a reaction to the unsettling events at Cielo Drive, further complicating the narrative surrounding the murders.

Charles Manson's Manipulation and Hollywood's Cover-Up

Delving into Charles Manson's role, Brennan illustrates how Manson manipulated his followers by exploiting existing tensions and perceived slights within Hollywood circles. At [35:10], he states, “Charlie Manson hated the elite Hollywood scum up at Cielo Drive as much as Mama Cass's boyfriends did.” This mutual animosity set the stage for Manson's orchestrated campaign of violence, leveraging both personal grudges and manipulated perceptions to incite his followers.

Cass Elliot's Struggles and Final Days

The episode concludes by reflecting on Cass Elliot's deteriorating health and her struggles to maintain her career amidst personal turmoil and the traumatic aftermath of the murders. Brennan poignantly narrates at [38:12], “Despite it all, here she was in 1974, still standing, for the moment anyway, on stage, but going through the motions. She was tired.” This somber reflection underscores the profound impact of her experiences on her final years.

Insights and Conclusions

Through meticulous storytelling and comprehensive research, this episode of DISGRACELAND offers a nuanced perspective on Mama Cass Elliot's life, peeling back layers of myth and media portrayal to reveal the raw truths behind her relationships and untimely death. By challenging the established narratives and introducing alternative motives, Double Elvis Productions provides listeners with a thought-provoking exploration of one of Hollywood's most enigmatic figures.

Notable Quotes:

• Jake Brennan [05:20]: “Cass introduced her boyfriends, Pick and Billy, to Sharon and Roman Polanski, intertwining her personal life with the tumultuous events that would soon unfold at Cielo Drive.”
• Jake Brennan [25:50]: “Cass Elliot did not die choking on a ham sandwich. It was a case of poor health from a life of near-constant drug and alcohol abuse.”
• Jake Brennan [35:10]: “Charlie Manson hated the elite Hollywood scum up at Cielo Drive as much as Mama Cass's boyfriends did.”

Conclusion

"Mama Cass Elliot (Pt. 2): Rape, Murder, and Taking Secrets to the Grave" serves as a compelling continuation of Cass Elliot's story, intertwining the glamour of Hollywood with the grim realities of personal vendettas and mental manipulation. For those intrigued by the intertwining of true crime and entertainment history, this episode stands as a testament to the complex legacy of one of the 20th century's most beloved yet troubled icons.

Transcript

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[Jake Brennan]

This episode contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners. Please check the show notes for more information. Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis Mama Cass Elliott's life career, both with and without the Mamas and the Papas. Her complex relationship with both the victims of the Manson Family murders and with the murderers themselves, both alleged and convicted, is so complex that we needed two episodes to properly tell this story. If you're just getting hip to this now, I suggest you hit pause and go back to the previous episode of Disgraceland, Part one of the Mama Cass Elliot Story, where we get into Cass's skyrocketing fame and mold breaking pop stardom, her challenging solo career, her romantic relationship with not one but two international drug dealers, her role as Hollywood's hippie den mother, her connections to the Manson family and her arrest in Hollywood. In this episode, we further explore Cass's entanglement with Charles Manson, her close friend Sharon Tate and Sharon's husband, filmmaker Roman Polanski, as well as Cass's alleged involvement in some of the long rumored hedonistic events at Sharon and Roman's home on Cielo Drive, events that put Mama Cass at the center of a counter narrative that explosively disrupts the supposed motive for the Manson family murders. And we debunk the silly fat shaming myth surrounding Cass Elliott's own death that has persisted for nearly 50 years. We of course, hit upon Cass's solo music career great music made by one of the last century's most unique stars. Unlike that music I played for you at the top of the show. That wasn't great music. That was a preset loop from my melotron called Play you play me mk2. I played you that loop because I can't afford the rights to any song by John Denver. And why would I play you that specific slice of senses filling cheese? Could I afford it? Because that was the number one song in America on July 29, 1974. And that was the day that Mama Cass Elliot died, kicking off one of the more ridiculous myths in rock and roll history and burying perhaps forever one of Hollywood's darkest secrets. On this episode, Sharon Tate, Charles Manson, the Helter Skelter, Motive in flames and Mama Cass secret dead next to a ham sandwich. I'm Jake Brennan and this is disgrace. Wojtek Frykowski, the big Polish dude Michael Caine had met at Cass Elliott's house. Turn J. Sebring's black Porsche 911 onto Hollywood Boulevard and dropped the German engineered sports car down a gear. The engine sounded barely containable. It hummed low, almost a growl. The sound was an attention getter for sure. Young hustlers on the corner of vine took notice. Wojtek cruised. He was looking for a particular type. Young, clean, almost pretty. That's how she liked them. How he liked them too. Not unlike Jay. Not unlike Roman. Wojtek spotted what he was looking for, curbed the Porsche, proffered, popped the passenger side door. The strange hopped in and Wojtek headed back up into the Hollywood Hills. Not Laurel Canyon. Tonight's action wasn't at Cass Elliot's place. It was at Roman Polanski's Cielo Drive home. But Cass would be there because Sharon, Roman's wife, would be there. And Sharon and Cass were thick as thieves. Especially when Roman was out of town. Cass kept Sharon company. Cass was the one, of course, who introduced her boyfriends, Pick and Billy, to Sharon and Roman. And to Wojtek, for that matter. Pick and Billy made sure the parties at 10050 Cielo Drive never ran out of steam. Pick and Billy supplied Sharon and Roman's friends with whatever drugs they needed. Pick and Billy were bringing more than party favors, though. Pick and Billy were supposedly setting Wojtek up with enough product to keep him going well beyond the summer. And to make sure he wouldn't have to subsist on the allowance his tight wad American heiress girlfriend, Abigail Gibby Folger, kept him on. Gibby wasn't going to be there tonight. She was too straight for tonight. Tonight was for professionals. Tonight was black hoods. Tonight was young strange. Tonight was whips, chains, wax and whatever was freaky. Tonight the dancing would be, as they said, different. Tonight was inspired by the satanic dream sequence from Romans, Rosemary's Baby. Roman would approve. They were going to film it to show Roman when he returned from London. He'd dig it the most sick that he was. Roman loved his tapes. Roman loved young girls. There would be plenty. Charlie was bringing his dirty desert hippie harem. Charlie would share as long as there was an angle. Charlie liked to share. So did Roman. Roman shared his home, his drugs, his money. Word was Roman even shared Sharon. The tan skin on the blonde glistened in the candlelight. She moved in motion with the Ray Manzarek organ. It blasted from the home stereo system at ear shattering volume. She was the only one not in a black hood or a mask. She wore red panties. And that was it. Bodies were everywhere, all twisted up together on the furniture, the carpeted floor, up against the walls. The blonde worked on the broad shouldered bald dude with the Zorro mask. Behind him a handsome young man waited his turn patiently. His beautiful brown coif needlessly hidden under the hood of his open robe. The pro noticed. The pro thought it a waste how hard we work for things only to squander them in the heat of the moment. It proved what mattered in life. What was carnal. That was it. The rest was just window dressing. When you got right down to it, this whole hippie Hollywood dream was about one thing and one thing only. Getting off all roads led to here. Hedonism. The chanting grew louder in rhythm with Rey's Venice pump. It forced a sort of mask. Come on. The room itself seemed to elevate. Everywhere anyone looked there was nothing but beautiful hedonism. All of it orchestrated for mass satisfaction. Young, old, male, female, bald, blonde, skinny, fat. Yes, even the big girl was in on the action. Though if one looked closer, beyond the half assed pomp and feigned satanic circumstance, one could tell that the big girl's heart wasn't in it. Her heart was with another and he was lost, gone in the wind. Pick Dawson wasn't due at Cielo Drive that night. So Cass Elliott would have to do with Pick's friend, her other love, Billy Doyle. And if Billy wouldn't show where it was, Cowboy was on her way. And Cowboy would most definitely entertain Cass if her two loves weren't around to do so. Cowboy was like that. It was the post party at Cielo Drive. Everyone was invited. But again, Pick wouldn't be there. Pick knew Wojtek was too pissed. Pissed that he caught a bad stash off Pick. A stash he couldn't sell. Wojtek would handle Pick eventually. And in the meantime, if his shitheed little friend Cass Elliott's other boyfriend, Billy Doyle, had the balls to show up, then Wojtek would take care of him too. But to Wojtek and Cass's dismay, for different reasons, like Pick, Billy never showed either. Not that night, anyway. But for Billy Doyle, Cielo Drive was a hard call not to heed. There were too many parties, too many women, too many customers to lay off his mda, his lsd, his coke, his grass. Months passed during that summer of 69, and Cass Elliott's boy boyfriend, Billy Doyle, eventually found his way back to Roman Polanski's house. Roman was still out of town. Roman's friend Wojtek and Wojtek's girlfriend had the run of the place. Even with Roman's pregnant wife Sharon there. Sharon was no match for Wojtek. Wojtek ran the show. It was still the celebrity haunt it always was. Sharon made sure of that. But the home was also a catch all for sunset Strip Seekers. 60 Charlatans, Hollywood Hills hippie rabble, and of course, lots and lots of underage sexual action. Young girls, young men, they were practically bust in. In some cases they literally were. By Charlie from his place up in the desert in his barely operable school bus, painted all black. Billy nearly salivated at the thought. Cass wouldn't be there, not tonight. She was back in the hospital. Her crash diet had crashed and Mama Cass was need of an iv, some rest and a short spell off the drugs and the drink. But Billy was a freeborn man in a world gone mad and set to shake some action at Cielo Drive on that night. It was a risk with Roman out of town. The parties were always a bit rougher when Roman was away and when Wojtek was left in charge. But Billy bet Wojtek would welcome him and forget about the bad stash Pickett sold him because Billy had a brand new bag of the good stuff. Billy bet bygones would be bygones, but Wojtek wasn't having any of it. Billy entered the pristine white paneled door at Cielo Drive into a party in full swing. Wojtek spied him immediately. He could practically smell the sleaze on him. Wojtek played nice. At least he seemed to. He welcomed Billy with open arms and a drink laced into an evil cocktail of vodka, punch, mescaline, lsd, and speed. Billy gulped it down. Billy's head went blotto. The party swung. Where was Cass? Billy wondered. She'd sent her him. She always did. But Cass wasn't there. Billy felt his heart jump into his throat and his stomach turn upside down. He fumbled to the bathroom to vomit, but nothing came up. He stood, stumbled into the living room. Someone placed a lit joint into his lips. He drew from it, coughed up a mouthful of smoke. The room closed in on him. The walls squeezed. Billy knew it. He was about to be fucked. Revenge fucked. Wojtek appeared flat in front of him and placed his big Polish mitts on Billy's shoulders. Wojtek smiled. Billy swore. Wojtek's eyes went black. The next thing Billy knew, he was sucking on carpet, face down, his wrists bound behind his back. The pain was unbelievable. Where was that coming from? In blunt thrusts, over and over again, Billy heard the partygoers laughing, cheering, egging on someone, something, someone from behind him. The pain. It hit him in time with the cheering from the backside, over and over again. Billy's head ballooned. The pain burst and Billy blacked out.

[Podcast Host]

Here I am 3:36 in the PM. It's the afternoon. I need a break. My train of thought is fading. I already worked out and expended the energy boost that gave me. I've been desk deep in writing and recording all afternoon and I've drank all the caffeine I can drink today and if I want to get to bed at a reasonable hour, I can't drink anymore. So what's a focus challenged ex cigarette smoking podcaster to do? Well, I'm going to crack into a.

[Jake Brennan]

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[Podcast Host]

I'm fresh. And now I'm also alert and ready to bang out another 500 words of this podcast script that I need to finish before I take my son to baseball practice. Lucy breakers are pure nicotine and tobacco.

[Jake Brennan]

Free and the capsules break into these.

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Bursts of flavor that are undeniably satisfying. I go with the 8 milligram pouch. It hits me just right and I sail through the rest of my workday. Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy. Go to Lucy Co Disgraceland and use promo code Disgraceland to get 20% off your first order. Lucy has a 30 day refund policy if you change your mind again, that's Luci Co and use Code Disgraceland to get 20% off. And here comes the fine Print Lucy products are only for adults of legal age and every order is age verified. Warning. This product contains nicotine and nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Jake Brennan]

Do you know about how Steve McQueen escaped murder at the hands of the Manson family? Or about Dwayne the Rock Johnson snatch and grab gang and The Rock's nearly 10 arrests? What about Danny Trejo running a drug protection racket while in lockup?

[Podcast Host]

The obsessive killing of Dorothy Stratton?

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The real life murder that inspired David Lynch's Twin Peaks?

[Podcast Host]

The three conspiracies surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death. These stories and more are told in the new podcast Hollywoodland, where true crime and Tinseltown collide. Hollywoodland is hosted by me, Jake Brennan.

[Jake Brennan]

Creator of the award winning music and true crime podcast Disgraceland. Follow and listen to Hollywoodland wherever you get your podcasts. Marvel Studios Thunderbolts will take the world by storm. There's some big threat out there and you're gonna help me stop it. Us. Why? You got someplace to be? On May 2nd Avengers, you're gone. No one's coming to save the day their time. I think we could be the people that are coming has come being the hero. There is no higher calling. Let's do this. Marvel Studios Thunderbolts only theaters May 2nd. Get tickets now. Rated PG13. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. When Billy Doyle came to, his pants were around his ankles, his head was woozy and his asshole throbbed with a hurt he'd never felt before. The looks from the celebrity and scenester partygoers burned. The smirks, the outright laughter, the fucking judgment. Billy stood in a rage with one thing on his mind. Killing Wojtek Frykowski. But just then, before he could pounce, Billy himself was wrapped up in a bear hug and physically speeded outside of the Cielo Drive home. The embrace was tight, but not angry. It was that of a friend. It was Cowboy. Still, Billy fumed. He screamed bloody murder. He was going to fucking end the big pole who did this to him. But Billy was no match for Cowboy, who was physically much bigger and stronger than he. For the second time that night, Billy Doyle was tied up. Cowboy threw him in her car and tore ass away from Sharon Tate's home in the Hollywood Hills and straight toward Sharon's friend's home in Laurel Canyon. Straight toward Mama Cass's house. What happened next, Cass Elliot would never forget. She wasn't there, per se. Not in person. But once Cowboy safely chained an irate Billy Doyle to the tree outside Cass's home, Cowboy let herself into Cass's place and phoned Cass in the hospital. Cowboy wanted Cass to know what was going on at her place in case any of the neighbors were to complain, freaked out by the dangerous hippie chained to the tree in the front yard screaming bloody murder. It was for Billy's own good, Cass, cowboy explained in that throaty rasp of a drawl she had. Billy's gonna kill him unless I force him to cool out. Cass, at the time, found it all to be hysterical, knowing full well the reason Billy was enraged because he was just forcibly sodomized in front of a party of cheering onlookers. And now, with her B team boyfriend chained to a tree outside of her house to keep him from killing his attacker, Cass screamed through her laughter into the phone at Cowboy to get the Polaroid. Get the Polaroid. It seemed to be all fun and games at the time, but for Cass Elliot, remembering it all now as she was on stage motioning through her latest set of solo material years later, it all seemed sad. In addition to the sick and horrible sexual assault that it was. But still sad. Just sad. Sadder than her falling out with the Mamas and the Papas, sadder than her bombing in Vegas, sadder than her relationship with Billy, and sadder than her relationship with Billy's friend, the real love of her life, Pic, the way he just seemed to take and never give, to show up and then disappear. Cass loved Pick, didn't love Cass back. Sometimes that's how it all felt. Cas loved, but the world didn't love back. Of course, that wasn't entirely true. Mama Cass was one of the most beloved personalities of the late 60s and early 70s. But that wasn't enough. Cass didn't want to just be a personality. Cass wanted to be accepted as an artist, on the level with her buddy Crosby, with Joanie, with Jimmy, and as much as she hated to admit it, with Papa John. But that acceptance was hard to come by when you didn't write your own material. And even if you packed him in at the London Palladium, as Cass currently was, July 26, 1974. Five years almost to the day from the Manson murders, half a decade from losing her friend, Cass couldn't help but think about Sharon a lot. Sharon lit up the room. And now, now that light was forever burned out. And for what? And why? Those rumors that wormed their way through Hollywood's elite circles after Sharon's death got to the truth of it all, and it was enough to make anyone remotely connected to Sharon Tate sick with Fear. But again, why? The how and the who, the movie stars, the rock stars, the so called Helter Skelter motive, the fucking Beatles and the ghoulish nature of the killings, that was for newspaper stories, understands. But the why of it all, that was the stuff that kept you up at night. Some came right out and pointed their fingers at Sharon and at Cass's boyfriends, at Billy and at Pick. In an interview with the Los Angeles Free Press, Dennis Hopper said the following about the inhabitants of Cielo Drive, Sharon Tate included, quote, they had fallen into sadism and masochism and bestiality. And they recorded it all on video. Videotape too. The LA Police told me this. I know that three days before they were killed, 25 people were invited to that house for a mass whipping of a dealer from Sunset Strip who'd given them bad dope, unquote. Even Candace Bergen, who with her boyfriend, music producer Terry Melcher, lived in Sharon and Roman's house at Cielo Drive prior to the two of them, said in an interview with LAPD two weeks after the murders that the Motos was because, quote, it was a rape, unquote. A less than reputable source, Manson family member, the imprisoned Bobby Bolsole, in a jailhouse interview to Truman Capote said, quote, who says they were innocent? They burned people on drug deals. Sharon Tate and that gang. They picked up kids on the Strip and took them home and whipped them. Made movies of it. Asked the cops. They found the movies. Not that they'd tell you the truth. We'll be right back after this. Word, word, word.

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[Jake Brennan]

The movies. The videos. The goddamn videos. Perhaps that's the part that frightened Hollywood the most. Not the motives, but the movies made for Roman and made by Roman. Those rumors never quit. Those rumors were hard. The stories about what Roman forced Sharon to do on video with what some called quite a few recognizable Hollywood faces, along with a supposed constant flow of underage girls who'd fallen into the cracks of the City of Angels. Sharon's friend, photographer Sherrock Katami, is on record saying of Roman Polanski, quote, he was bringing other girls to have threesomes with Sharon and Sharon didn't like it when he was picking up girls on the Sunset Strip and bringing them home to have sex with her. Unquote. Sex tapes, orgies, sadism, pedophilia, the rape of a duplicitous drug dealing boyfriend of Mama Cass. What consequence could any or other all of this have? Who would have benefited from the gruesome murders at Cielo Drive? Perhaps someone seeking revenge for being humiliated in public for being sodomized, raped, for burning Sharon's friends on a bad dope deal. But Cass knew Billy Doyle and Pick Dawson and even Cowboy were out of the country when the murders took place. But Hollywood, it knew better. The word was Billy and Pick were too smart to do the deed themselves. And that's where the weird little dude from the desert with the harem of crazy underage girls came back into the picture. Charlie Manson. Charles Manson hated the elite Hollywood scum up at Cielo Drive as much as Mama Cass's boyfriends, Billy Doyle and Pick Dawson now did. And it wasn't because of any public sodomization beef. Charlie had his own humiliation to contend with. Sharon Tate, Roman fucking Polanski, the whole lot of them. Especially the hard on music biz honcho Terry Melcher and his hoity toity girlfriend Candice Bergen, who lived at Cielo prior. All of them wojtek and his rich bitch, girlfriend included, had what was coming to them. They looked down at Charlie, sneered at Charlie, dismissed Charlie. All Charlie was good for was his girls. At first they loved Charlie. Charlie was on a different trip, man. Charlie took four hits of acid. His eyes went all googly in that weird way of his. He opened up his mouth and an entirely new dimension seemed to open up to anyone around him. Charlie had it where it mattered. He had soul, man. Wait till Charlie got it down on record. That's what they said. Charlie was going to be a star. No, a prophet, like Dylan. That's what Neil Young thought. Neil went as far as to tell Mo Austin, head of Warner Bros. Records. The same. Neil gave Charlie a motorcycle to help him get around town to replace that broke down jalopy of a school bus he had. Dennis Wilson thought similarly of Charlie as well. Dennis recorded one of Charlie's songs with his band, the Beach Boys. Dennis couldn't do anything right that didn't involve either his cock or an American made engine. Both sort of the same thing when you think about it. But I digress. So Dennis fucked up the recording of Charlie's song in a big way. Butchered the title, changed it, futzed the lyrics. Didn't even credit Charlie. It was supposed to be Charlie's big break. Because Dennis friend, Doris Day's dope smoking doll faced son, the music industry golden boy, penetrating along with Dennis, whichever of Charlie's girls he could get their slick music industry hands on. That dude Terry Melcher, the one who lived up at the Cielo Drive house before Rent Roman. He wanted nothing to do with Charlie as a musician. Charlie auditioned for him. Charlie blew it. Terry blew Charlie off. Charlie burned, dissed, dismissed, heavily dosed. Charlie had murder on the mind. A drug burn, the rape of a drug dealer in retaliation, a revenge plot and aggrieved cult leader with acid induced scrambled eggs for brains. The fact that Charlie and his girls could get paid for killing them piggies that did him wrong like they did Billy and Pick, made the whole trip all the more sweeter. Murder for hire in a world gone mad was righteous work if you could get it. Particularly if you were offing rich establishment pigs in the process. Wasn't that what Charlie's girl Susan Atkins wrote on the door of Cielo Drive and Sharon Tate's blood, Pig? Or was it something else? The word pig was hardly written clearly. It was blurry, bloodied. Some say it didn't say pig at all. Some, including Mama Cass Elliot's former mamas and the Papa's band leader John Phillips told LAPD that no, it didn't say pig. It said Pick. P I C. Pick, not pig. John was crazy, not to mention an asshole. But so too was most of Hollywood on both accounts. Cass knew this then and she knew it now. On stage, trying her best to focus on the task at hand, entertaining the dwindling crowd at the London Palladium. But it was hard. Too hard. It was all still a fresh wound. Pick and Billy. Billy and Pick. Cass introduced them to Sharon. Mama Cass brought both boyfriends, both criminals and into Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski's world. This is recent, well documented, thoroughly sourced information from the excellent 2019 book by Tom O'Neill and Dan Pipenbring entitled Charles the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties. But back in the days after the death of Sharon Tate, even though all this information was nothing more than whispers, it was enough to keep you up at night to make your stomach turn. Charles Manson's so called Helter Skelter motive, so expertly detailed by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi. A take that kept the public riveted throughout Bugliosi's trial of Charles Manson. A take that detailed Manson's fantastical plot to unleash a race war on the world via the murder of Sharon Tate and others. To those in the know, to those who visited Cielo Drive before the murders, to those who partied there regularly. The Helter Skelter motive of Vincent Bugliosi seemed way out of the bounds of reality compared to what was being whispered around town. That Pick and Billy did Sharon and Roman's buddy Wojtek wrong on a drug deal. Motherfucker gonna fucking kill him. I swear to God I'm gonna fucking kill him. That Wojtek did Billy drugged, bound and sodomized him in front of a live audience at Cielo.

[Podcast Host]

Live from from Hollywood, it's the public rape and humiliation of Mama Cass boyfriend Billy Doyle.

[Jake Brennan]

That Billy and Pix swore vengeance, hired Charlie Manson, who in turn cast his spell on his acid deranged followers to conduct the murders on Charlie's command and on Pic and Billy's dime. Helter Skelter. Helter Skelter. Bugliosi Bunk cooked up to clamp down a conviction to sell the public, to sell papers and to eventually sell books. To explain away the dwindling dream of the 60s and perhaps to cover up something darker. The debaucherous hedonism of a blockbuster movie director and his A list movie star friends at the Hollywood studio system and perhaps other more powerful players had a lot invested in. All of whom were rumored to be captured on video at Cielo Drive in horrifying acts of illegal sexual depravity. Hollywood had a history of covering up. Worse, in the wake of the murder of Sharon Tate, Hollywood went fully paranoid. Mia Farrow blew off Sharon's funeral too, afraid she was going to be taken out with a sniper's bullet. Frank Sinatra went into hiding. Jerry Lewis dropped beaucoup coin on a state of the art security system. Sammy Davis looked to Anton Lavey for answers. Steve McQueen stashed a gun in his glove box. In the two days after the murders, one sporting goods store in Beverly hills reported selling 200 guns. Mama Cass's bandmate Michelle Phillips was one of the Hollywood elite shopping for firearms and for good reason. On the piano at Sharon's house after the murder murders, they found the sheet music to the Mamas and the Papa's Song. Straight shooter. Creepy, but nothing compared to the worst of it. The death list. The deathless from the Manson family. Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Tom Jones, Frank sinatra and Steve McQueen. They were right to be paranoid. They were all on the list. The ghosts of Errol Flynn, Jack Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe slouched toward Gamora Joan Diddy and reached for her pen. It was enough to make you bury your memories with alcohol, heroin, cocaine, tranquilizers and endless amounts of unhealthy food. Which is exactly what Cass Elliot had been doing since the murders. But despite it all, here she was in 1974, like so many others from those heady days of 1969, still standing, for the moment anyway, on stage, but going through the motions. She was tired. She knew it and the London crowd knew it too. Cass Elliott couldn't wait to get back to the apartment she was staying at, on loan from Harry Nilsson, and to get some rest. This recent crash diet was one of the worst. She was fatigued and these shows were draining. But first, after the show, there was Mick Jagger's birthday party to attend in Chelsea. Cass chatted up Pete Townsend and Rod Stewart. They, along with other guests, noticed Cass's condition. Constant coughing, trouble with her breathing. But still she kept on drinking and smoking. Morning came and Cass made it back to her borrowed flat. She fixed herself a ham sandwich and a glass of Coca Cola, placed both on her nightstand, plopped down to sleep and never woke up. Her body was discovered the next afternoon. A doctor who made the scene, Dr. Greenberg, told the Daily Express that Mama Cass Elliott appeared to have died from a case of asphyxia saying quote, from what I saw when I got to the flat, she appeared to have been eating a ham sandwich and drinking Coca Cola while laying down. A very dangerous thing to do. This would be especially dangerous for someone like Cass, who was overweight. She seemed to have choked on the ham sandwich, unquote. What the doctor didn't tell the press prior to making his fat shaming assessment of Cass Elliott's cause of death was that a bottle of Temazepam tranquilizers and a vial of liquid cocaine had been removed from the scene. Furthermore, the doctor neglected to tell the press that the ham sandwich, the supposed cause of death, had not even been touched. Cass Elliot died basically of poor health from a life of near constant drug and alcohol abuse throughout her adulthood. In addition to being overweight and in poor physical shape, Cass Elliott did not die choking on a ham sandwich. It seems false motives and explanations for Hollywood's so called innocent were all the rage in 1974, just as they were back in 1970. Such a disgrace. I'm Jake Brennan and this is The Screensland Postscript. August 1969. Roman Polanski is back at his home on Cielo Drive. Days after the murders, he is wandering through the crime scene where his pregnant wife and friends were just slaughtered. The salty smell of blood still fills the air within the walls of the Hollywood Hills home. Roman wanders dazed amongst the LAPD and investigative authorities. He is being trailed by a psychic whom he's hired to help track down the killers and a photographer from Life magazine whom he's also hired, presumably to capture the moment for posterity. Roman is in shock. The scene is an unimaginable horror. A horror so realistic the filmmaker never in a million years could ever dream of capturing it in one of his films. Films like the one he was known the world over for Rosemary's Baby. And like a lesser known film like the one in the box in the homes loft, the film that was filmed here at Cielo, the film that Hollywood whispered about. The film that witnesses say Roman Polanski quietly stashed away into his pocket and left Cielo Drive with. On that day In February of 1977, 43 year old Roman Polanski is charged with the rape of a 13 year old girl. Nearly a year later in 1970, to escape what was believed to be an impending 50 year prison sentence for the rape of a minor, Roman Polanski fled the United States to live in exile in Europe, where he remains to this day in 1991, behind bars for the Tate Labianca murders. Charles Manson gives an interview to Ron Reagan Jr. In which he says about Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski, quote, they were pedophiles. They weren't innocent.

[Podcast Host]

All right, thanks for hanging out with me and Mama Cass. Apple Podcast listeners, make sure you have automatic downloads turned on so you you don't miss any episodes. All right, this week's Question of the week is do you believe the accepted narrative around Helter Skelter as put forth by Vincent Bugliosi? 617-906-6638 to let me know via voicemail or text Disgracelandpod to let me know via Instagram, Facebook or X and you'll be able to hear your answers on the afterparty bonus episode coming up right after this one. If you want more stories from me, like this one, but about actors and actresses and not above musicians, then check out Hollywoodland, our Hollywood and true crime spin off podcast. Right now we have two episodes on Sharon Tate, Mama Cass's Friend, and those episodes tie directly to the episodes on Cass that you just heard. Search and follow Hollywoodland wherever you get your podcast. We're releasing episodes every week on John Waters, David Lynch, James Dean, Steve McQueen, Patty Hearst and more. Leave a review for Disgrace Land or Hollywoodland on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and.

[Jake Brennan]

Win some free merch. All right, here comes some credits. Disgraceland was created by yours truly and.

[Podcast Host]

Is produced in partnership with Double Elvis.

[Jake Brennan]

Credits for this episode can be found on the show notes [e-mail] if you're.

[Podcast Host]

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[Jake Brennan]

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We really appreciate it. And if not, you can become a member right now by going to Disgracelandpod.com membership. You members can listen to every episode of Disgraceland ad free. Plus you'll get one brand new exclusive episode every month, Weekly unscripted bonus episodes, special audio collections, and early access to merchandise and events. Visit disgracelandpod.com membership for details, rate and review the show and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook Disgracelandpod and on [e-mail] Graceland pod Rocka Rolla.

[Jake Brennan]

He's a bad, bad man.

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