Hollywood's Big Guns: Who's Packing Heat?

This story first appeared in the March 8 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

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On Feb. 14, LA Weekly published a list of the 341 people allowed by the Sheriff's Department to carry a concealed weapon around town.

Most were usual suspects, including reserve officers and judges like O.J. Simpson adjudicator Lance Ito. But hidden amid the tally were a handful of pistol-packing industry players.

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At your next meeting, be careful not to do anything to trigger producers Arnold Kopelson, Jerry Weintraub and Richard Donner, as well as Westwood One founder Norman Pattiz.

The Weekly list was published by reporter Gene Maddaus as part of his investigation into the correlation among those who have been granted concealed-weapons permits and those who have supported L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca in his political career. As Maddaus writes, "those who've given the sheriff gifts or donated to his campaign are disproportionately represented on the roster of permit holders."

THR attempted to contact each of the entertainment players about their own connections. Kopelson declined to comment, although the Weekly noted that he'd given Baca ballet tickets in 2004. Weintraub said he received his permit during Baca predecessor Sherman Block's tenure and Donner and Pattiz could not be reached by deadline.