The Night Clubs of Eddie Nash
We’ve all read the bio, Eddie Nash (Adel Nasrallah), a Palestinian born immigrant, arrived in L.A. with $7 in his pocket. After waiting tables, he bought his first hot dog stand and he grew into a huge entertainment tycoon. By the 1970s, he was really freeking loaded. His main rackets were his night clubs. They covered as a front for his other activities, vices and crimes as well. He was quite a generous guy though. If you have not read about the women he loved and how he once helped a woman and her autistic son, google it. Get out the Kleenex first. Heartwarming!
This post features a few of his old clubs. A music venue and a teen dance club. At one point Eddie Nash had 25+ liquor licenses in the Los Angeles area. This gives you a picture of his largess, and what the business scene was like behind the wild man… who was Eddie Nash. The King of L.A. I feel it is right to document these things because if too much time goes by, the facts are lost forever.

This music and concert club catered to local and int’l bands alike. It was open from 1972 to 1981. “Rubicon” played the CalJam ’77 I think.
This great site (LAist) tells the history of the Odyssey club, and how after having their dance license revoked at the club, kids staged what appeared to be a protest, but it looks really cheezy and fake:
So, when you think about it. The city and the cops were sick of Eddie. What does he do? Eddie Nash probably had the place burned down a few nights later, for the insurance money. I believe he was acquitted of this fraud charge though, but a few of his other businesses had “burned down” in the past. He got away with stuff. So the police messed with him all the time after Wonderland. Before Wonderland, he flew just under their radar. For the rest of the 80s though he would be in a world of legal shit, multiple arrests, trials, short stints in jail or prison for drugs, all the way up until the 2000 trial (where he did like 2 years of a 4 year sentence due to old age). LAPD never got that feather in their cap though. The cops never really nailed him for Wonderland. That’s too bad. All of the other witnesses were dead. It was by then a lost cause. Twenty years later too. They were lucky to get what they got with Eddie. He was slick.
Nash owned several more clubs catering to black folks, gays, older crowd, tropical theme, blues bar, etc. I could not find pictures of them. Please send if you have any. Thanks!
-JW
Sources:
Wikipedia – Starwood
LAist web site. http://laist.com/2012/08/17/laistory_all-ages_dance_club_the_od.php#photo-5
Bonnie Brae 9:58 pm on September 24, 2012 Permalink |
LOL – that footage is hilarious. It totally looks fake. Hilare. I’m pretty sure we had an Odyssey in San Diego. The music to Footloose really takes the cake. At the end the guy saying that when the club closes they pick up trash around the area. hmmm that is what I always did in high school when i was falling over drunk at the end of a party. I’d comb the local neighborhoods looking for trash to pick up.
John 1:02 pm on September 26, 2012 Permalink |
Yes! and I don’t remember people dressing that bad, but I guess they did. You should have seen my sweet dark brown polyester uniform from Pizza Hut with the matching Andy Capp hat. I was a cook and dishwasher. Great pizza though.
Brandy 10:00 am on August 27, 2013 Permalink
Oh people definitely dressed that bad. You should see the pics of me as an 8 year old in 1981, horrifying., All browns & oranges with flower patterns.
Darcymarie 3:54 pm on April 6, 2013 Permalink |
I have found a page that is basically al about the oddessey & the regulars who used to go there… It has pics & everything and tons of posts from all the former club kids who used to go there…. It’s really interesting, there’s also a site called the go-go’s notebook & it”s about the starwood
Annie 11:30 pm on May 26, 2013 Permalink |
When I was in high school, we would go to the Seven Seas. Any 16 year old could drink as much as we wanted for free.I miss the late 70’s!!
L. Greg Johnson 9:45 pm on September 5, 2016 Permalink |
I have chatted with many former employees of Odyssey1, including iconic DJ Chuck Starr, and it was NOT owned by Nash – it was owned by Stott and Bud Harvey, Chris Cox and a cousin of Chris’. Nash DID own Starwood, Seven Seas and another couple of clubs
John 9:56 am on September 8, 2016 Permalink |
I believe the Nash simply owned the building (and it burned down eventually)
Darla Hershman 11:13 pm on April 20, 2017 Permalink
I just wanted to respond to a post earlier from Brandy. Larry Hershman ” Cherokee” who was my father passed away on October 19, 2016 from lung cancer. May he RIp
John 10:17 pm on March 23, 2018 Permalink
Sorry, it took so long to reach you Darla. I am writing a book about Wonderland. Very sorry to hear about your dad.
Can I ask you some questions some time?
John
Darla Hershman 11:15 am on December 6, 2019 Permalink |
When your book is finished please let me know. I am very interested in this. my number is 818-404-1360
John 11:46 am on September 21, 2020 Permalink |
Reblogged this on Wonderland1981 – The Wonderland Murders.