Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
19-Year-Old Shot Dead at Crash Mansion LA
Joseph Cosina was shot in the heart after bar-close early Friday morning at Crash Mansion nightclub on Grand Ave. (it was an 18-and-over event). The 19-year-old Downey High School graduate was pronounced dead at the hospital and two others were wounded. The gunman remains at large.
About closing time, a fight broke out inside the club, police said. Cosina and his friends had no connection to the fight, said his father, Hector. Security guards asked them to remain inside with the other patrons. But a melee and then gunshots erupted in the parking lot, and Cosina somehow was able to leave the club. From the club's balcony, his friends saw him running through the parking lot, perhaps to protect his car, his father said. -- LA Times
After evolving into a salsa club and later the conflict-riddled Grand Avenue Nightclub, the building appeared bound for demolition. About a year after the lot was purchased by a housing development corporation, it was rescued by NYC-based Bowery Restaurant Group, owner of Manhattan's Crash Mansion nightclub.
We heart you, blogging.la, but don't agree that this historic space "should have been long gone by now" in favor of twin hi-rise condo eyesores. Since opening last June, Crash Mansion LA has hosted a handful of concerts and events in its 1,200 capacity room (see these flickr photos). Hopefully this homicide was an isolated event and Crash Mansion will continue booking a wide variety of eclectic local bands and nationally touring acts without consequence.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
