Original Gangsters Podcast · Original Gangsters, a True Crime Talk Podcast

The Life and Crimes of Eddie Nash

·56 min·1 clip

Palestinian refugee built legitimate music empire before becoming LA's most powerful crime boss

Jimmy, Scott, and Benny present a deep-dive into Eddie Nash, LA's most powerful 1980s crime boss. Nash arrived as a Palestinian refugee with ~$7, built a hotdog stand into a nightclub empire (seven restaurants, five nightclubs), and became integral to the LA music scene—hosting Aerosmith as Starwood's house band and helping launch major rock careers. By the 1970s-80s, Nash had evolved into a multi-operation racket boss: cocaine distribution, sex trafficking, extortion, arson. His mansion was a 24/7 party hub integrating celebrities, musicians, porn stars, and criminals. The episode traces the Wonderland murders (July 1981)—allegedly Nash's retaliation against the Wonderland gang's robbery—which ultimately made him nationally infamous. The hosts argue Nash wielded more power than the LA mafia at that time, setting the stage for his criminal empire's documentation in films like Boogie Nights and Wonderland.

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