So many times in Hollywood people and events cross paths either by happenstance or through an existing contact. As it is well known, I was very close to Miss Peggy Lee and it was a time in my life that shall remain private. My memories are more valuable than gold and not for sale. Once in a while I may reflect on a holiday or a dinner that was always special at the Lee Mansion. Having dinner there was like stepping back in time, the very best of everything and in the most glamorous settings. The other interesting occurrence was that it was always the same group of people who were important to Miss Lee that were attending these dinners.
Many stories about Bernard Lafferty aka “The Butler”, as it would happen Bernard had worked for Miss Peggy Lee way before taking the job as a butler with Doris Duke and here comes the connection. Bernard was literally bouncing all around Beverly Hills for years, to say he was a little flamboyant would be an understatement. After Miss Dukes death Bernard was being driven comfortably around town in a gorgeous black Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. And he would be sitting comfortably in the back seat and look as if he had been born there. Bernard had without question dedicated his entire being to doing whatever Miss Duke asked for and no request was too big for my friend, The Butler! Bernard was one of the most generous people I have ever met, not a drunk, not a fool… just a great Irishman, and IF he chose to have few drinks it really did seem perfectly natural.
The first time that I had met Bernard Lafferty was 4 years prior to Doris Dukes death. I was summoned to Falcons Lair to meet with Doris Duke in reference to a personal matter. That assignment remains private as it should be, as do many of the assignments I handled for many people of fame. Of course, I had heard of this residence for years as the home of the Heiress Doris Duke. As a very young man I recall reading about Doris Duke bailing our Imelda Marcos, never ever thought I would meet Duke one day and assist with a personal matter, just another John J. Nazarian happenstance. The assignment took a few days and the results were given to Miss Duke in a second meeting, face to face it was decided that no record of this assignment was going to be made. At the conclusion of that meeting Bernard presented me with an envelope and after a few pleasantries I left the estate.
It would be a few years later that I would be invited up to a home in Bel Air with my good friends Jose Eber and Adam Scott. It was just a meet and greet more than anything else, Miss Duke had died and now Bernard was the guy in charge. Bernard was being gracious and wanted to have good people around him as he was concerned that he was being used by known and unknowns. It was also during this time that Bernard was being bullied by the Los Angeles District Attorney as to the real cause of Miss Dukes death. Some of this came along after a professional thief pretending to be a nurse had made accusations of foul play in the death of Miss Duke. Along with all of that Bernard was still suspect in the death of Miss Duke. Bernard worshiped Doris Duke and was more like an obedient dog than a butler. Bernard was devastated over Duke’s death and it was very obvious to anyone who spent any time with Bernard. Bernard took as good care of Miss Duke as anyone could possibly do…. it was tough to get through a conversation with Bernard without the name, Miss Duke or Doris not coming up in the conversation.
It was in the early morning hours that Bernard died, I had been there the night before with Charlotte Hassett, Nuku Makasiale and two old birds from Ireland. These two old ladies were a bit to deal with, the Irish accents and their little annoying oddities…. I can still remember Bernard was eating a large bowl of vanilla ice cream, seated at a table by himself. This was of course at this magnificent mansion off of Benedict Canyon. It was late and I had to go as I had a ton of reports to follow up on and I said goodnight and Bernard had thanked me for taking the time to deal with a ‘relationship’. The issue involved an African American hustler who I had already gotten rid of once when he had accidentally fallen into some thorny brush just off the front gate outside the estate….. but like that ‘bad penny’ came right back! More on that later. I had made a comment about a picture that was hanging in the mansion and Bernard had it wrapped and gifted to me, I still to this day have that picture of Miss Duke hanging in my home to this day. Sometimes people ask who it is and I tell them it is my mother in her younger years.
During that time I was living on Wilshire Boulevard at the Wilshire House while my home in Toluca Lake was being worked on…. it was a very cool place to stay and the uniqueness of the building was also to come back at another time in my life. That would be when Shana Moakler and Oscar De LaHoya would be living there and I would eat Chinese food and watch Oscar fight in Las Vegas while sitting in his living room! Back to Bernard……….
To this day I can remember when Charlotte Hassett called me and told me that Bernard was dead! He had “puked” in his sleep and aspirated it and we were told he blew out his esophagus! Here he was in this absolutely incredible bed and puke, poop and blood all over him and the sheets. I sat straight up and told my bed mate to feed the dogs I had to go, I left in my pajamas wearing my Gucci slippers and a jacket! I had a 1992 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special that Bernard loved and I drove that Cadillac like hell and got there in 15 – 20 minutes, from mid Wilshire to Benedict Canyon…. flew right by Charo’s ‘black and white’, estate on the corner!
Note: It had only been a few days since the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office had cleared Bernard of any wrongdoing in the death of Miss Duke. Bernard was just thrilled, the accusation truly upset him to no end! After all of that grief now he too was dead.
We all knew that Bernard would never have wanted to be found dead laying in his own puke, poop and blood sooooo, Charlotte Hassett and Nuku Makasiale (NuKu was a wonderful older woman who was a housekeeper and cook for Miss Duke, Bernard kept her around after the death of Miss Duke) decided to wash the body of Bernard. Not only did the two clean him up and spray his favorite cologne on him they also changed the bed sheets! Charlotte felt that he should be dressed appropriately and here we have Bernard, dead as a door nail, dressed to the nines in some very expensive threads. Naturally, he was laying on some very nice sheets as if he had just fallen asleep….. except as I stated, Bernard was dead. I recall asking Charlotte if this was a good idea as I was sure that the L.A.P.D. would be sending detectives from RHD to make sure he was dead and his death did not occur under any unusual circumstances! Oh boy, did I hit that nail on the head! Here they sit at the gate and cannot get in!
There were 2 detectives at the gate from Robbery Homicide Division these guys were like the cream of the cream of the L.A.P.D. detective divisions. RHD handled all the high profile murders and or death investigations that happen within the City of Angeles. That was of course until they met John J. Nazarian! My first contact with these two WIZARDS of CopDumb, did not go well…..” Open this gate ….”why?” and one of them opens his jacket and there is his very shiny copDumb badge. I tell him I will have to check with the lawyers who are here and see if I should. Well that set off all kinds of unpleasantries and it was something these two coppers don’t hear much, I am assuming. “Just you sit right there and I will get back to you.” Oh no question if they could have gotten their hands on me I would have had some issues to deal with. Thank god for big gates!
Well about ten minutes pass and I get a call from a (Lt. Mosler) I am a little unsure of the spelling due to the time that has passed. He and I had contact on other issues and had the good Lt. had my cell phone. The Lt. was a total gentleman and asked if I would let his guys onto the property. Done! that was all that was required, be nice and maybe you will get in and get past John!!
Well once the Wizards of CopDumb got access, their bullshit started again, the word was “crime scene” potentially? I was not allowed to go into the room where Bernard was laying and beautifully dressed…. all the nice clean linen and hair was nice, everything was nice. The smarter of the two asked me, “does he go to bed dressed like this?” While the other dope was telling me to, “stay back this is a potential crime scene”. So, I let these two dopes running around taking pictures and doing what the Wizards of CopDumb do, almost an hour. That is when I told them that their “crime scene was in a trash barrel to the back of the estate.” The look on their faces was priceless, by this time the Lt. Mosler had arrived just in time to see his two detectives look more incompetent than anyone could have imagined. I patiently explained that Bernard’s lawyer and Nuku, his trusted housekeeper had cleaned him up, took all the nasty puke and poop soaked clothes along with the bedding and tossed it all into the trash cans! I was asked why I had not told the two detectives from RHD and I simply stated that I was not asked. These two assholes wanted to try and intimidate me and talk to me as if I was the resident court jester. So I basically accommodated them, not sure they thought it was funny, John wins again.
After several hours it was time to remove Bernard from his home, Helicopters and Photog’s were setting up in the hills with telephoto lenses waiting for the money shot. Once again, I knew that Bernard would not want to be photographed being rolled out of his pride and joy…. his house! So I convinced the Coroner representative to back the wagon into the garage. I had to pull the Rolls out so that the wagon could get in. Bernard was taken down the interior stairway into the garage and wheeled right into the wagon…. job done. Not one photo was taken of Bernard at the end of his life, thanks to me! I would get Dr. Erosovich out of the Van Nuys police station with the cooperation of the L.A.P.D. and TMZ and others never got their money shot as they did with the rest of the Anna Nicole Smith gang!
Bernard loved his dogs and that was the next big issue to deal with and it was Nuku who took care of them until appropriate homes could be found for the gang… Bernard Lafferty was a good man and no one knew that better than I, John J. Nazarian!