Oscar Zeta Acosta ( Oscar Zeta Acosta ; April 8, 1935 , El Paso , Texas , USA - 1974 , went missing) is an American lawyer, writer and activist of Mexican descent, best known for his friendship with Hunter Stockton Thompson , who the pages of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas described Acosta as his lawyer, Dr. Gonzo .
| Oscar Zeta Acosta | |
|---|---|
| Oscar Zeta Acosta | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | April 8, 1935 |
| Place of Birth | El Paso Texas |
| Date of death | 1974 |
| Place of death | Mexico |
| Citizenship |  USA |
| Occupation | lawyer, writer |
Biography
Oscar Acosta was born in El Paso, and grew up in the small town of Riverbank in the San Joaquin Valley near Modesto , California . His father took part in World War II and Oscar had to take care of his family himself.
After graduating from high school, Acosta joined the U.S. Air Force , after graduation, he entered Modesto College and became the first family member to graduate. He also attended law school evening courses in San Francisco and in 1966 became a lawyer. [one]
In 1967, Acosta moved to Auckland , where he began to work as a lawyer and provide legal assistance to the poor. In the summer of that year, he met Hunter Thompson . In 1968, Oscar went to the east of Los Angeles , where, while working as a lawyer, he defended Chicana activist groups. His work provoked the ire of the local police, which often haunted Acosta.
In 1970, the lawyer ran for the post of Los Angeles County Sheriff and won more than one hundred thousand votes. During his campaign, Acosta spent several days in prison for contempt of court. As a result, he scored more than one million three hundred thousand votes, but still lost to Everett Holliday, the head of the local prison.
In 1971, Hunter wrote an article about Acosta and injustice in eastern Los Angeles, and it appeared on Rolling Stone under the title "Strange Rumble in Aztlan ." The article also examined the killing of the Los Angeles Times journalist Ruben Salazar . While working on Strange Rumble ..., Thompson and Acosta traveled to Las Vegas , Nevada to be able to openly discuss Salazar's murder and racial injustice in Los Angeles. The story of this trip was immortalized in the novel " Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ."
Oscar’s first novel, Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, was published in 1972 and was an autobiographical story of a lawyer in Auckland. The second semi-autobiographical novel, The Revolt of the Cockroach People, was released in 1973 and was a kind of protest against the Vietnam War .
In 1974, Acosta went to Mexico , where he disappeared without a trace. His son Marco Acosta believes he was the last person to speak with his father. In May 1974, Oscar called his son and said that "he is going to board a boat full of white snow." [2] In response to rumors that the lawyer is alive and hiding in Miami , Hunter Thompson wrote an obituary for Acosta. [3] According to him, Oscar was a strong advocate and preacher who suffered from addiction to amphetamines , as well as to LSD-25 . The body of Oscar Zeta Acosta was never found.
Movie Image
Oscar Acosta was twice portrayed in the movie:
- The 1980 film Where the Bison Roams , partly based on Hunter’s obituary for Acosta and the novel Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, depicts Acosta’s life and his relationship with Thompson. In the film, the lawyer is named Karl Laszlo , the role was played by Peter Boyle . Thompson was played by Bill Murray .
- The 1998 film “ Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, ” an adaptation of Hunter’s novel, shows Acosta and Thompson’s trip to Las Vegas. The lawyer is named after Dr. Gonzo, played by Benicio Del Toro . The role of Thompson under the name of Raoul Duke is played by Johnny Depp .
Notes
- ↑ Oscar Acosta - # 38731 . State Bar of California . Date of treatment September 18, 2012.
- ↑ Bass, Shermakaye. Fear And Loathing And Oscar Acosta: Tracking the mysterious Brown Buffalo . Dirt (August 5, 1999). Date of treatment September 18, 2012. Archived on October 28, 2012.
- ↑ Thompson, Hunter S. The Banshee Screams For Buffalo Meat: Fear and Loathing in the Graveyard of the Weird . Rolling Stone (December 15, 1977). Date of treatment September 18, 2012. Archived on October 28, 2012.
Literature
- Acosta, Oscar Zeta. Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo . - Vintage Books, 1989. - 204 p. - ISBN 0679722130 .
- Acosta, Oscar Zeta. The Revolt of the Cockroach People . - Straight Arrow Books, 1973.- 258 p. - ISBN 0879320605 .
- Thompson, Hunter Stockton. The Great Shark Hunt . - Simon & Schuster, 2003 .-- 624 p. - ISBN 0743250451 .