HIJACK TRAGEDY HITS HOME FOR LOCAL FAMILIES.

Berry Berenson, widow of ``Psycho'' star Anthony Perkins and younger sister of New York-based model-turned-actress Marisa Berenson, was on her way home from a Cape Cod vacation when she boarded American Airlines Flight 11 in Boston on Tuesday.

Topanga Canyon resident Tom Pecorelli also stepped on American Airlines Flight 11. He was heading home to his pregnant wife.

Ronald Gamboa and partner Daniel Brandhorst boarded United Flight 175 in Boston with their 3-year-old son, David Brandhorst, heading home to Los Angeles after a vacation.

Their flights, like two others, were hijacked Tuesday and turned into speeding missiles - the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center.

As investigators Wednesday tried to track down what happened - and what went wrong - the airlines released partial passenger lists as families across Los Angeles and the world began to grieve.

Fourteen passengers on three of the hijacked planes were identified as Los Angeles County residents.

Also on Flight 11 were David Angell, 54, a Pasadena resident and executive producer of TV hit ``Frasier,'' and his wife, Lynn; Carolyn Beug, 48, of Santa Monica; and Jude and Natalie Larson both of Los Angeles.

Dorothy de Araujo of Long Beach and Maclovio ``Joe'' Lopez Jr., 41, of Norwalk were on United Flight 175.

Stanley Hall, 68, of Rancho Palos Verdes and Dora Menchaca, 45, of Santa Monica were both on American Flight 77, which was intended to go from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, but instead was flown into the Pentagon.

Families struggled to understand.

Bereson's family, including her two sons - Osgood Osgood, better known as Oz Perkins, is a 27-year-old actor who appeared in the summer comedy ``Legally Blonde,'' and Elvis, 25, an artist - expressed grief at the loss of all the victims.

``For us, the loss of our mother and friend is heartbreaking,'' the family said. ``She radiated love and it is unthinkable that she was taken from us by such a hateful act. She will be remembered, loved and missed unendingly.''

Berenson and Perkins were married in 1973, and remained together until 1992, when he died of AIDS.

The couple's sons both live in Los Angeles. Berenson is also survived by her niece Starlite Randall, a social worker from Newport Beach, and her mother GoGo, who lives in Paris.

In the last years of her life, Berenson, 53, was known as a photographer. She shot cover photos for Life magazine and had recently completed a book on the life of Roy Halston, the Iowa-born fashion designer made famous for Jacqueline Kennedy's pillbox hat and evening wear for Liza Minnelli.

Fashion was in Berenson's blood, you might say. She was the granddaughter of the Italian-born fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who began her career in 1930s Paris and earned a reputation for creating shocking garments. And like sister Marisa, Berenson too modeled before turning to acting.

``They were famous on the international society scene,'' recalled Maggy Murray, costume curator at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Berenson did few movies during her brief acting career, including 1982's ``Cat People,'' 1979's ``Winter Kills'' and 1978's ``Remember My Name'' in which she appeared with her husband.

There are no plans in place yet for a memorial, but the family has asked that in lieu of flowers people contact Sam Levin at [phone] for donations.

Pecorelli, 31, a cameraman with Fox Sports and E! Entertainment Television, was headed home, friends said.

``Tom made everyone laugh and enjoy his incredible gift of singing, performing and expertly acting out characters on the stage,'' his family said in a statement. ``He will be dearly missed.''

For Gamboa and the Brandhorsts, this airline trip was just one of many, family said.

``They did a lot of traveling, they were both family-oriented,'' she Gamboa's sister, Jeannie Merwin.

She said Gamboa had visited family in Louisville, Ky., over Labor Day and planned to return next week.

Gamboa, 33, managed a couple of Gap stores in Los Angeles and Brandhorst was a lawyer for PriceWaterhouse, she said.

``We're pretty much in shock and still mourning,'' said Merwin, who heard the news Tuesday night. ``It's hard. We have a lot of family and friends supporting us.''

Staff Writer Jason Kandel contributed to this story.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Berry Berenson, a sometime actress and photographer, was among jet passengers killed in Tuesday's hijackings.

Box:

VICTIMS LIST