It was early 1943. FDR and Churchill had just met at Casablanca to set a goal of unconditional surrender. Daylight bombing of Nazi Germany was beginning. Japanese forces on Guadalcanal collapsed. And Betty Grable received a letter of extortion. Dear Miss Grable, This is an extortion. Under threat of your life or great bodily harm, gather $25,000 in uncut diamonds and mail them in 2 envelopes addressed to Jonathan C. Wild, Esq., Gates Hotel, 5th and Figueroa Los Angeles, Calif. (Signed), The Leopard Miss Grable was just coming into her own as a movie star—Down Argentina Way and Tin Pan...