Who were Leno and Rosemary LaBianca?

LENO LABIANCA and his wife Rosemary played a tragic role in the infamous Charles Manson family story.

In July 2023, Leslie Van Houten – the youngest member of the bloodthirsty cult – was released after spending more than half a century in prison for her gruesome double murder.

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Who was Leno LaBianca?

Leon LaBianca was born Pasqualino Antonio LaBianca in Los Angeles, California.

His parents were Italian immigrants, and his father, Antonio, owned two grocery stores called Gateway Ranch Markets and State Wholesale Grocery Company.

Leno had two older sisters named Emma and Stella.

He had three children with his first wife, Louise, but the couple divorced in 1955.

LaBianca then met his second wife, Rosemary, while she was working as a waitress.

The couple married in 1960 in Carmel, California.

Who Was Rosemary LaBianca?

Rosemary LaBianca was born in Arizona.

Her birth name was Ruth Katherine Elliott but after her parents divorced her mother put her up for adoption because she was unable to look after her.

She was adopted at the age of eight by a couple who named her Rosemary.

Rosemary married a man named Frank Struthers in 1953 and they had two children together – Suzan and Frank.

They divorced in 1956 and four years later Rosemary married Leno.

What did Leno LaBianca do for a living?

Leno followed in his father Antonio’s footsteps and owned a grocery chain.

After Antonio’s death in 1951, he was appointed president of both of his father’s food companies.

Later, Leno bred thoroughbred horses and competed in races.

In 1967 he and Rosemary started a successful business specializing in high quality women’s clothing.

What happened to Leno and Rosemary LaBianca?

Leno and Rosemary were sleeping at home when members of the Manson family entered their home and murdered them both.

The murders occurred in the early hours of August 10, 1969, just over 24 hours after actress Sharon Tate and four other people died.

Van Houten, who was 19 at the time, said she and other cult members stabbed the LaBiancas and smeared blood across their walls.

Using the couple’s blood, they wrote “Healter Skelter” on the fridge – a misspelled nod to the Beatles’ song Helter Skelter.

Manson used this phrase to describe his goal of an apocalyptic scenario in which all whites would be slaughtered, sparking a race war.

They also wrote “Rise” and “Death to the Pigs” in blood on the walls.

Leno and Rosemary’s killers are believed to have played with their dogs while they lay dead before showering in their bathroom and leaving the house.

Rosemary’s son and daughter discovered the couple dead the next day.

Five people – Van Houten, Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Tex Watson – were each tried and convicted for their involvement in the murders.

Originally, each defendant received a death sentence—but in 1972, the California Supreme Court ruled that the laws were unconstitutional.

Why did Manson choose the LaBianca house?

The Manson gang randomly selected the LaBiancas for execution despite allegedly attending a party at a house next door the year before the murders.

None of the Manson family had ever met the LaBiancas before, but they believed their murders would help start the race war they wanted to start.

How many times was LaBianca stabbed?

The LaBiancas were both stabbed dozens of times.

Rosemary was knifed a total of 41 times and also choked with a lamp cord.

The killers, who continued to stab her long after her death, had placed a pillowcase over her head during the horrific ordeal.

Leno, on the other hand, was left with a carving fork sticking out of his stomach with the word “War” carved into it.

Is the LaBianca house still standing?

Yes, the LaBianca house is still standing and occupied.

The house has been sold multiple times since the LaBiancas died there.

The property is located at 3301 Waverly Drive in the Los Feliz neighborhood and was listed for $2.2 million in 2022.

Where are Leno and Rosemary LaBianca buried?

Rosemary’s body was cremated and scattered in the sea at the request of her daughter Suzan.

Leno, meanwhile, was buried alongside family members in LA’s Calvary Catholic Cemetery.