Lucius Lomax (December 24, 1878 – June 21, 1961) was an American soldier, bootlegger, gambler–bookmaker, pimp, and real estate investor.
Lucius Lomax | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lucius Walter Lomax December 24, 1878 |
| Died | June 21, 1961 (aged 82) California, U.S. |
| Other names | Old Man Lomax, Lucius W. Lomax II, Lucius Lomax Sr. |
Biography
editLomax was born in Texas, and served in the Spanish-American War and in the campaign against Pancho Villa.[1] He later departed Texas (possibly because of a murder charge), went to Japan, and then landed in Washington in time for Prohibition.[1] He became a bootlegger, and ran a brothel with his half-sister prior to moving to the L.A. area.[2][1] In 1933 a columnist in the California Eagle described Lomax as a "big time financier of San Francisco and Oakland...In days of old when Lady Chance was in her hey-day in California, Lucius Lomax would lose or win a thousand dollars without batting an eyelash. Although he gives away thousands to charity he never allows his good deeds to be published. His modesty is a thing sublime".[3] A 1937 grand jury minority report named Lomax alongside figures like Guy McAfee, Bob Gans, and Tutor Scherer as one of 27 suspected "vice chiefs" of the Greater Los Angeles area.[4] His most productive era in California was from the late 1930s to early 1950s.[2]
Lomax was a wealthy and influential figure who was described by his descendants as a handsome killer and thief, by neighbors as "the man to see" in the African-American community surrounding Central Avenue in Los Angeles, California, United States, and by historians as a "surprisingly important" figure in the history of early 20th-century black L.A.[1] Lomax's son, typically referred to as Lucius Lomax Jr., ran the Dunbar Hotel, became an attorney and newspaper publisher, and ran unsuccessfully for the California Assembly and Los Angeles City Council.[5] The newspaper, edited by Almena Lomax, was viewed by Almena as "the first step in [Lomax Sr.]'s rehabilitation from mobster to legitimate citizen".[2] When he died by self-inflicted gunshot in 1961, Lomax's estate was estimated to be worth approximately half a million dollars, and Lomax was described by a news wire service as someone who built "an empire of wealth through his knowledge of human nature and material values, but still remained modest and unpretentious".[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Bogle (2005).
- ^ a b c Lomax, Lucius (December 24, 1999). "Lucius Lomax on his Grandfather". The Texas Observer. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Spreading Joy". California Eagle. September 22, 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Grand Jury Minority's Report Names 29 as L. A. Vice Lords". Daily News. December 28, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-06-07. & "Minority Report Assails L.A. City, County Officials for Allegedly Blocking Investigation". Daily News (part 2 of 2). December 28, 1937. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ Libman, Gary (July 11, 1985). "Lomax Family: From L.A. to South of '60s". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ^ "Lucius Lomax Wills Estate of Half Million to Relatives". Alabama Tribune. July 14, 1961. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
Sources
edit- Bogle, Donald (2005). "Old Man Lomax Comes to Town". Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-307-51493-6. LCCN 2004054781. OCLC 430580035.