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THE BIGGEST SHORT GUY: The Amazing Untold Story of Walter Beran, the CPA Who Changed L.A.

The Biggest Short Guy is the sort of story that is increasingly rare in today’s hyper-connected world. News of anyone doing anything significantly good or bad travels fast and is devoured widely. Add to that the ease with which we can uncover a virtual history of anyone in minutes, and it’s easy to see why being unheard of is quite unheard of. Yet an online search of Walter Beran would yield a notable yet paltry biography, largely from his L.A. Times obituary.

Walter Beran was a man who arguably shaped the soul of Los Angeles more than any contemporary from the 1970s-1990s. To accomplish this as a city official, philanthropist or entertainer would not be surprising. To accomplish this as an accountant is almost unbelievable.