Family History #1: 19-Teens, 1920s, Vaudeville. Joseph And Roxy LaRocca. Peoria. Virginia & Josephine Young. SLC. The Great Depression. Oakland. Meet Jane Harker #1. Warner Bros.

Roxy LaRocca, known as “the Wizard of the Harp,” was a celebrated vaudeville performer and the great uncle of Diana Cotterell. Originating from a musically inclined family, Joseph Ned LaRocca was Roxy’s younger brother, and both toured the vaudeville circuits. Their father, Salvatore, was also a harpist. The LaRocca family faced challenges during the transition from vaudeville to emerging mass-media forms like radio, ultimately leading Roxy to retirement and local political involvement in Peoria.

1940s (1930s) Los Angeles: Family. Marriage. Hollywood Wedding Chapel. Los Feliz Houses. Mildred Marinell. WW2. P.O.W. Divorce. Updated 11/24/2025.

You were introduced to Diana Cotterell/Paige Young’s parents in an earlier chapter, let’s learn more about them. Robert M. Cotterell was 23 and Donna V. LaRocca 19, when they were married in 1940. Donna is listed in the 1940 census as living with her parents at 3834 Evans St., and that she was a “New Worker” in “Dramatics.” Below is the Hollywood Wedding Chapel…

A 1944 Birth. Birth Certificate. Intro to Family Members. Neighborhood. Walt Disney & Hollywood Connection. Griffith Park Maternity Center. 10-20-2025

Diana Lee Cotterell, known as Paige Young, was born on March 16, 1944, at the Griffith Park Maternity Home in Los Angeles. Her father, Robert Morgan Cotterell, and mother, Donna Virginia LaRocca, welcomed her two years after the birth of her sister, Constance. This center, operational since 1931, focused on drug-free childbirth, contrasting with common practices of the time. The location later shifted to a senior residence. The Cotterell family’s history is intertwined with significant local landmarks, including the nearby Disney studio and Marshall High School, prominently featured in various media.