Lawrence.com

Attorney gets four-month term for Brockovich extortion attempt

An attorney who tried to extort $310,000 from Erin Brockovich and her boss was sentenced Friday to four months in jail.

John J. Reiner, 53, also was ordered to serve three years probation, complete 300 hours of community service and pay $10,000 in restitution and attorney's fees.

Reiner was found guilty in April of two counts of attempted extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. Brockovich grew up in Lawrence.

Prosecutors said Reiner tried to extort the money by threatening to tell the media Brockovich was a bad mother and that she and her boss, Ed Masry, had an affair. Masry, an attorney, and Brockovich, his assistant, denied the allegations.

Masry and Brockovich won $333 million in compensation from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for 650 residents of the town of Hinkley, where water was found to be contaminated. The story was made into the movie "Erin Brockovich," for which Julia Roberts won an Oscar for her portrayal of Brockovich.

Robert Blake's house newest stop on California celebrity ghoul tour

The neighborhood where the wife of "Baretta" star Robert Blake lived and died will become the latest stop on a $55 tour of the city's most notorious crime scenes.

Lonnie Levine, owner of Crime Scene Tours, is adding Blake's home, as well as the restaurant where he and wife Bonny Lee Bakley dined the night she was shot and killed two weeks ago, to his regular rotation.

"I expected him to have a nicer home," a disappointed Seth Romero said before the Las Vegas family piled back into their car and headed to Hollywood.

No mourning at Allen's memorial

There should be plenty of laughs today at a memorial for Steve Allen. The comedian's son, Bill Allen, said his father would have wanted his friends and fans to have a little fun.

"Tell some jokes, sing some songs, and let his big band play," Allen said. "That's how he would want to be remembered � for his music, for his jokes, for his friends."

Allen, a prolific songwriter, author, and comedian who was the original host of the "Tonight Show," died Oct. 30 at age 78.

Joel in 'coasting' phase

Billy Joel is having an identity crisis.

"I don't even know who the hell I am right now, and I find that kind of interesting," the pop singer-songwriter said. "I'm a musician, a pianist, a guy from Long Island. A father most importantly of all. And right up there with father, composer."

The Grammy winner admits he's "coasting" these days in his career. Being a father to Alexa Ray, his 15-year-old daughter with ex-wife Christie Brinkley, is his main priority.