Embedded Files
To Lenny, friends were everything — and he did indeed get by with a little help from those closest to his heart. These were the people who shared Lenny's love of music and all things sports. The pals who made his face light up like a jukebox whenever they were around. The faithful friends who listened and laughed at his backstories, despite how many times they’d heard it all before. And the folks who embraced him in good times and bad.
Many of Lenny’s friendships were rooted in his formative years in Boston, and later in Florida. Other close relationships sprouted in L.A., where Lenny’s life in the fast lane only slowed on Sundays, when the gang spread blankets on Venice Beach and whiled away the day with food, drink and laughter — resting like challa bread dough between kneadings. These were the friends who made a patch of sand feel like the best seat in the house.
When Lenny relocated from Hollywood to Nashville, he worried he'd lose some of his beloved friendships to time and distance. He was delighted when many traveled in from East and West Coasts to celebrate his wedding celebration in the deep South. A year later, they all reunited in L.A. for what’s best described as a “Big Chill” memorial after the tragic, unsolved murder of their close mutual friend. (See 💎The Gold Pouch and an Unsolved Mystery below.)
Though some of the faces and names have faded over time, Lenny’s deep affection for his friends never waned. The backstories shared in captions below draw from anecdotes Lenny shared with his family — bolstered by historical research Victoria has done since. If a fact is wrong, please reach out through the contact page — where you can also request full-size, uncompressed electronic versions of pictures you spot in the image carousels. And if someone who belongs here was left out, please tell us what you feel should be included.
Left to Right (Front Row): Dorothy Melvin, Lenny Berman, Sandy Schwartz and her husband, MarkLeft to Right (Back Row): (white male, name unknown), Jimmi Mayweather, Carol Weinstein, Jimmy Schlee (spelling unverified)
Upon receiving the shattering news of Jerry Gold’s murder, Lenny flew back from Nashville to L.A., where he and Jerry’s mutual friends memorialized him during an intense, multi-day reunion. Reminiscent of The Big Chill, this tight-knit group gathered to grieve, reminisce, and celebrate the life of their dear friend.
Upon receiving the shattering news of Jerry Gold’s murder, Lenny flew back from Nashville to L.A., where he and Jerry’s mutual friends memorialized him during an intense, multi-day reunion. Reminiscent of The Big Chill, this tight-knit group gathered to grieve, reminisce, and celebrate the life of their dear friend.
Dorothy Tiano Melvin (left)
A powerhouse administrative force, Dorothy served as the business director and controller at Clover Studios during the 1970s, working in tandem with Clover leadership including Chuck Plotkin, Lee Houskeeper, Lenny Berman, Carol Weinstein, and the rest of the staff. Her formidable logistical talents later took her to executive stints at Capitol Records, Motown Records, and Casablanca Records, culminating in 1979 when she became the personal assistant and subsequent manager for comic Joan Rivers. In love and romance, Dorothy attracted such notables as actor Michael Melvin (to whom she was married for 17 years), Earl Charles Spencer (Princess Diana’s brother), and the infamous record producer Phil Spector. Decades later, she would step into the national spotlight as a crucial piece of criminal history. Serving as the first witness who testified against Spector in the televised 2007 trial for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson, Dorothy's riveting testimony helped establish Spector's systemic pattern of pulling guns on women. She vividly described a terrifying 1993 incident where a vodka-fueled Spector cornered her at his home, brandishing a revolver, and later, a shotgun. He struck her twice in the head, confiscated her purse containing her house keys, passport, and $2,000 in cash, and attempted to force her to strip at gunpoint before she escaped. (Ruetters recap)
Jimmi Mayweather and Carol Weinstein
Jimmi Mayweather was a highly regarded producer, studio manager, and chief engineer at storied Grandmaster Recorders (then situated at 1518 N. Cahuenga Blvd. in Hollywood). Behind Grandmaster's unassuming exterior, rockers including David Bowie, Ringo Starr, Johnny Mathis, Bonnie Raitt and other stars slipped in to capture magic on tape. Jimmi, along with Dorothy Melvin, Carol Weinstein and Sandy Schwartz (blond, front) were among Lenny’s close circle.
Carol Weinstein — During Clover's golden era, Carol was the indispensable studio coordinator and production assistant. Working together with Clover’s studio manager, Lenny Berman, she masterfully navigated complex studio logistics and session coordination. She also collaborated closely with chief engineer Jimmi Mayweather of Grandmaster Recorders. Following her foundational years facilitating studio operations and building vast networks at independent recording facilities, Carol enjoyed a highly successful career in Hollywood management and industry circles.
Fun fact 📌 Years prior, Sandy Schwartz, Carol Weinstein, and Lenny Berman lived together in L.A. as the original “Three’s Company”
💎 The Gold Pouch and an Unsolved Mystery
💎 The Gold Pouch and an Unsolved Mystery
Jerry Gold, a charismatic New York transplant, was a familiar face in the 1970s bicoastal rock-and-roll social scene — supplying gold and diamonds to rock performers, managers, and executives. As an independent diamond and gold merchant, Jerry bypassed traditional brick-and-mortar retail, bringing fine jewelry directly to music royalty — distributing highly portable, valuable wealth backstage, inside recording studios, and at industry hangouts.
With his good looks and magnetic personality, Jerry became the go-to jeweler for Lenny and other industry insiders looking to convert their cash into wearable luxury. Beyond the musicians, Jerry was deeply woven into the fabric of the high-rolling agents, concert promoters, and managers who pulled the strings of the '70s rock touring and recording machine. He didn’t just sell to the rock elite; he lived alongside them.
Then came the tragedy. Roughly a year after Lenny moved to Nashville to marry Victoria — their wedding being the final time Lenny would ever see his friend alive — Jerry was found shot to death inside his hotel room. Crucially, the inventory inside his signature gold and silver pouch remain untouched.
Because it wasn't a robbery, rampant rumors swirled that the execution-style murder was darkly intertwined with Hollywood's music coteries, or perhaps the era's volatile drug culture. Despite an intensive police investigation, Jerry Gold's murder remains one of Hollywood’s haunting, unsolved cold cases — leaving his friends to mourn a tragedy shrouded in lingering speculation and industry secrecy.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse