Listen Now - Hollywood & Crime: The Cotton Club Murder
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They say that Hollywood is where dreams are made, a seductive city where many flock to get rich, be adored, and capture America's heart. But when the spotlight turns off, fame, fortune, and even lives can disappear in an instant.

When TV producer Roy Radin was found dead in a canyon near L.A. in 1983, there were a lot of questions. The last person seen with him was Laney Jacobs, a seductive cocaine dealer who desperately wanted to be part of the Hollywood elite. Together, they were trying to break into the movie industry. But things took a dark turn when a million dollars worth of cocaine and cash went missing. From Wondery comes a new season of the hit show Hollywood in Crime, The Cotton Club Murder.

Lainey Jacobs had a pounding headache. A trip to Vegas with friends on a private jet had been the perfect getaway. But the endless supply of Coke and top-shelf liquor caught up with her.

Now all she craved was her own bed and sleep. It was early Monday, April 4th, 1983. Her limo crept through the quiet neighborhood of Sherman Oaks, California, then stopped in front of her house. Once she was inside, Lainey kicked off her shoes. She headed to the nursery to check on her baby, five-month-old Dax, still fast asleep. Even her nanny Miriam hadn't stirred yet.

One more task to do before she could crash. One of her distributors was going to drop by later for a pickup. She needed to set aside a stack of kilos from the garage safe. It was quiet as she flipped on the light. Her Mercedes and Porsche sat gleaming in their parking spots. She headed for the storage closet where she kept a hidden safe. Then she froze. The door to the closet hung open. It was always closed.

Laney raced over and slid open the panel to the safe, then spun the combination. There should have been 11 kilos of coke inside. Instead, it was empty.

Laney sprinted upstairs in a panic. She had another safe in her bedroom hidden inside a wall. But when she flung open her door, her stomach dropped. The door to that safe was wide open too, and $270,000 in cash, also gone.

Lainey paced across the room and rubbed her temples. This was a nightmare. She purchased the coke from Columbians on the come, which meant they sold it to her without any cash up front. Her job was to sell it and pay them back with a profit. They wouldn't care whether the merchandise was stolen. They just wanted their money.

The street value of 11 kilos was almost $900,000, and that wasn't counting the 270 grand. Over a million dollars in drugs and cash. Stolen. Lainey thought hard. She'd have to call Milan Bellachosis in Miami. He'd be livid. Plus, the Colombians needed to be told something. She felt a wave of dread.

If Lainey didn't find the culprit and the cocaine, she could end up paying with her life. But Lainey already knew who robbed her, and she vowed to rain down holy hell on him and anyone else involved with this fiasco. Binge all episodes of The Cotton Club Murder and other Hollywood and crime stories early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.