San Diego characters you should have known

Al Ducheny, Steve Kelly, Larry Himmel, Sam Spital, Stanley Siegel, Ed Miller

Author

By Neal Matthews (RIP), Bob McPhail (RIP), Stephen Meyer, Bob Dorn (RIP), Brae Canlen

Publish Date

July 21, 2018

Himmel and his crew from San Diego at Large have come to capture Alpine for video posterity.

Alvin, Denise Ducheny. Somebody airmailed a Molotov cocktail through the window of their office. (Craig Carlson)

Bad blood in Barrio Logan

Ducheny is most unpopular with those who run the government-funded agencies, people such as Rachel Ortiz, who directs the Barrio Station youth program; Jess Haro, chairman of the Chicano Federation; and Chunky Sanchez, chairman of the Chicano Park Steering Committee.

By Stephen Meyer, June 12, 1986 Read full article

Hey, Steve Kelley, how come you're such a mean guy?

Jerry Warren just made it clear to me that he believed, and the administration of the newspaper believed, that the Martinez cartoon transcended the bounds of good taste for the editorial pages. He decided that from that day hence I should bring him the finished version of my cartoon and have him look at it before it appeared in the newspaper.

Life begins at 7:30

Himmel's unthreatening blend of cheeky irreverence and disc jockey humor has made him a prize commodity for KFMB. Since taking the air on January 7, 1985, San Diego at Large has succeeded in capturing for Channel 8 the young, money-spending audience the station had gambled for.

By Neal Matthews, Feb. 5, 1987 Read full article

Among law firms, Spital's advertising budget is the third largest in the nation.

Spital's law: Advertise, settle the suit, go to the bank

“There are some [attorneys] who are arrogant and think they're at a higher place in life," observes Spital. “They think they deserve to be more godlike in their behavior." Spital, who lives in Del Cerro with his wife and four children, says he doesn’t see much difference between a department store clerk and a lawyer.

By Brae Canlen, Jan. 22, 1987 Read full article

The presiding judge of San Diego’s juvenile court, Judith McConnell, is on the show. Stanley calls her “Janet.” (Craig Carlson)

Siegel slot

Some people dismiss Stanley Tonight as inconsequential drivel, and others consider it a good fit for San Diego. No one has given it cult status yet, but this, too, will be said. Stanley Siegel has been bludgeoning a niche for himself since last summer, when KUSI-TV hired him to host a local talk show.

By Brae Canlen, May 28, 1987 Read full article

Ed Miller himself successfully prosecuted Jimmy “the Weasel” Fratianno, once believed by authorities to be the West Coast executioner for the mob. (Craig Carlson)

Why Ed Miller is still the man

Charges of a politically motivated prosecution were raised in the C. Amholt Smith case, and Miller’s pursuit of former Mayor Roger Hedgecock, who was brought down in the collapse of another fraudulent financial empire, led to claims by Hedgecock that Miller — who supported Democrat Maureen O’Connor — was politically motivated.

By Bob McPhail, Aug. 27, 1987 Read full article