Hundreds of pieces of memorabilia from the hotel where Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 were auctioned yesterday as officials prepared to demolish most of the building to make room for new schools.
Among the most expensive items sold was the hotel’s old black safe and combination, which went for $6,000. A pair of two statue light fixtures sold for $4,200 apiece. An antique mailbox sold for $2,200, while a silver disco ball that hung from the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub went for $900.
About 500 bidders filled the hotel’s parking lot, which was lined with framed art, marble tabletops, lobby doors, chandeliers and log books. Others placed their bids over the Internet.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, which bought the property for $76.5 million in 2001, plans to raze most of the hotel and build three schools on the site that will be able to house 4,000 students. The auction raked in an estimated $80,000 in revenue for the district.

Posted: 09|12|05 at 9:34 am. Filed under: US News.