He was in Amsterdam, he said, when a gang tried to kidnap him. His bodyguard twice thwarted attempted robberies in Mexico.

Feb. 6, 1950, was shaping up to be a characteristically brisk late-winter day in Los Angeles. But something about it didn't smell right to Mickey Cohen, the former boxer-turned-feared local mobster.

Some restaurants have one special thing, aside from their food, that sets them apart from the rest. Consider Fritz's, the Kansas restaurant that brings meals to your table via train, or The Great ...