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Remnants of Old Hollywood on Display at Beverly Hills Estate Sale

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Storied items on display at home of Alison Martino, preserver of Vintage LA

By Elijah Chiland
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Alison Martino, creator and curator of Vintage Los Angeles, is parting with family heirlooms today at her mother’s home on Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills. Alison is the daughter of Al Martino, the singer best known for his role as Johnny Fontane in The Godfather, and Alison grew up amid the glamorous lifestyle of Old Hollywood.

An avid poster on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Alison has chosen to remain behind-the-scenes for the estate sale, saying in an Instagram post that, "It’s too weird for me." Despite any misgivings, she has been steadily posting items already priced or sold for the past several days, including family stories featuring Buddy Hackett, Clint Eastwood, and Eddie Fisher.

The home on Rexford Drive sold last week for $7.8 million in a cash-deal, and currently includes some incredible vintage design features including bathroom wallpaper that matches that of the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel and a bar that once belonged to Bugsy Siegel. Follow #TreasuresfromRexford on Instagram over the next few days to see what treasures are unearthed from the family home, or visit the estate sale yourself from 10-4 today.

No this isn't the Beverly Hills Hotel, this is the bathroom in my parents guest house. When I moved into the guesthouse after graduating high school, I searched endlessly for this #exact original #DonLoper #BananaLeaf #Wallpaper. This was YEARS before the re production now found all over the world. I actually hunted down an elderly man in the valley who had been harboring original stock from the 1940s. He was kind enough to sell me just enough to design this bathroom. Apparently I was trying to create the Polo Lounge in my bathroom. At the BH Hotel, they actually cut out the leaves and pasted it onto the walls. But I kept it exactly like this. From floor to ceiling - even on the back door. My father thought I was absolutely crazy putting it on the ceiling. Years later when he would have guests over, he would show them this bathroom and say, "look at this bathroom I designed!" He soooo tried to take credit for it. I always found that Hilarious. This wallpaper was also in the coffee shop at the #AmbassadorHotel, The #GoldenGirls and the #Copacabana in NYC. #TreasuresFromRexford I'm really going to miss place. #BHHotel #AmbassadorHotelCoffeeShop #Copacabana #VintageLosAngeles #Retro #classic #BeverlyHills #OldHollywood #Glamour #TreasuresFromRexford #PalmLeaves #hollywood #BeverlyHillsHotelWallpaper

A photo posted by Vintage Los Angeles (@alisonmartino) on

One more week and my #mother moves out of the #family #house I grew up in on #RexfordDrive in BeverlyHills. It's Hard to believe. I thought we'd live here forever. But it just got to be too much work for my mom. I lived in the house until I was 27. And mom has lived in the main house for over 48 years. This home was my father's creation and he took such good care of it. But it kinda died when he did. The true soul left the house when he passed. But I'm so honored that #LosAngelesTimes has features the sale of our home for the past 3 Sunday's in a row tributing my dad for its impeccable condition. Wow. This is really happening. And of course it just HAD to be a perfect day today as I sat pricing things for the estate sale. It's sad and surreal that this will be one of the last photos I'll ever take of this house. Wondering why I didn't take more over the years. #TreasuresFromRexford #familyHouse #Big #Changes #New #Chapters #New #Beginnings #Farewell

A photo posted by Vintage Los Angeles (@alisonmartino) on

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