Rod Hokin with his 1932 Chrysler Imperial formerly owned by U.S. gangster Legs Diamond. Photo: Michael Clayton-Jones
There were two details among the papers for his newly purchased 1932 Chrysler Imperial sedan that caught Rod Hokin’s eye. First, the paintwork – still the original – was listed as ”Grisette Brown Deep”, sending him to Google where he found that a ”grisette” is a ”French working girl or salesgirl”.
But then came the real jolt – the papers revealed that the original buyer in Florida in late 1931 had been Jack ”Legs” Diamond, the New York and Philadelphia gangster.
Amazingly, the elderly American who sold Hokin the car in Indiana, Monte Gillespie, had not mentioned it. ”But there’s no doubt,” says Hokin. ”This car was once in the famous Paul Stern Chrysler collection.” Story found on “Fedora Lounge”
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