According to his wife's book (Neale just behind him with .30 '06) Steve took to carrying concealed in '69, when the Charlie Manson family went murdering Celebs in the Hills. Steve was to join up with Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring , others in their Mandeville Cyn home. He was side tracked, wound up going elsewhere...then found out about the massacre next morning.
Steve was thee King of Cool; my sister-in-law and 2 of her GF's were hitch hiking on Sunset Bl, trying to get to SM / Venice beach and Steve pulls up in a Mustang. He takes them to the beach, gives the girls some cash for (return) bus fare and snacks...insists that they never hitch hike again
At the Polo Lounge at the BH Hotel, Steve would always give my HS friend Dave (parking lot jockey) a 20 spot...as he never wanted to have his cars Valet parked; usually drove the 356 powered Beetle
This kind of Celebrity Coolness is gone today