Tony Saxon is a wiry, tattooed man in his early thirties who is proud of what he calls his “Jersey gonzo” work ethic—that is, “I’ve got a guy, or I’ll get a guy.” His legal surname is Netelkos, but he prefers the one that his father adopted while performing as a lounge singer with an Elvis-inspired act. The younger Saxon had a sometimes chaotic and druggy youth; he now sustains himself with Red Bull and can talk loudly and without interruption—but still with some charm—for four or five hours. When we recently met in Boyle Heights, in East Los Angeles, he arrived in a 1963 Ford Thunderbird convertible.
Four years ago, Saxon moved to California from northern New Jersey and sublet an apartment in North Hollywood. He worked on TV commercials and as a handyman; he played in bands and recorded music. In September, 2021, a woman who introduced herself as Bianca inquired about his availability for construction work. He was available. A few days later, she texted, asking him to come to Malibu immediately. In a response that eventually led to a lawsuit against Ye, formerly Kanye West—the music and fashion star who in the past two years has become known for his public antisemitism and admiration of Hitler—Saxon said that he’d get his tools.
He drove down to the Santa Monica Pier, then headed northwest on the Pacific Coast Highway. For about ten miles, the road follows the ocean’s edge: if you live on the beach, you also live next to a four-lane highway. But just past the Malibu Pier the highway and the ocean separate, and for a few miles the beachfront properties line a calm residential street, Malibu Road, with speed bumps and dog-walkers. Stan Laurel used to live here.
Denne historien er fra June 17, 2024-utgaven av The New Yorker.
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Denne historien er fra June 17, 2024-utgaven av The New Yorker.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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MEAN TIME
“Hard Truths.”
ENLIGHTEN ME
The secret beauty of mandalas.
THE BEST OF THEM
His was a genius for the ages. Will Gottfried Leibniz ever get his due?
DEATH CULT
Yukio Mishima’ tortured obsessions were his making—and his unmaking.
Prophecy
The night of Dev’s twenty-second birthday, he was invited to sit with the elders after dinner.
A TALE OF TWO DISTRICTS
Lauren Boebert and Colorado’s red-blue divide.
THE TIKTOK TRAIL
Andean migrants draw others to the U.S. with videos depicting themselves as living the American Dream.
LOVE AND THEFT
Did a best-selling romantasy novelist steal another writer's story?
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STILL PROCESSING
Why is the American diet so deadly?