Paul Barresi

Paul Barresi
Paul Barresi in 2002.

Paul Barresi (born 12 January 1949[1]) is an American actor, pornographic film director, private investigator[2][3], and media personality. Barresi has also been involved in several high-profile celebrity scandals.[4][5]

Contents

Early life and military career

Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, when Barresi was 12 his family moved to Annapolis, Maryland for his father's job at the United States Naval Academy. Barresi was offered a wrestling scholarship to the University of Maryland but opted to instead enlist in the United States Air Force during the height of the Vietnam War. Barresi served at bases in the United States and the Philippines, and he was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1973 after completing his tour at March Air Force Base.[6] Upon returning to civilian life, he soon began working as a fitness trainer at a gym in nearby Riverside, California.[6]

Work in modeling, theater and film

During filming in Riverside, Barresi worked as an production assistant for Raquel Welch[7] and had a small role as a bartender in The Wild Party, released in 1975. In March 1974, Barresi appeared with a pre-Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Cassandra Peterson in a Playgirl pictorial. Barresi was selected by Rip Colt as an early Colt model,[8] and was featured on the cover of the November 1975 Mandate. Barresi was featured on the December 1978 cover of Hustler, making him "the first man ever to appear on the cover of Hustler."[9]

The print modeling led to dozens of appearances in adult film,[10] starting with "Co-ed Fever" in 1980.[6][11][12]

Barresi went on to write, produce and direct a number of award-winning adult films. In 1992 Barresi, using the name "Joe Hammer", won the Gay Video Guide Award in the Best Specialty Release category for the fetish video, "Razor Close".[13] Barresi has been nominated for several other AVN Awards, including 8 nominations for the 1998 gay mafia epic which he wrote, directed, and produced, titled GoodFellas/BadFellas, and featuring him in a non-sexual role.[citation needed] Barresi earned a 2003 GayVN Awards nomination for "Best Non-Sex Performance — Gay or Bi" for Long Strokes, noting he got the nod "just for taking my shirt off; if I knew they wanted more, I'd have done more."[14][15] Barresi also won the 2007 GayVN award and a 2007 Grabby award for "Best Non-Sex Performance" for his work in Velvet Mafia (parts 1 and 2).[16][17] And in 2008, Barresi was inducted into the GayVN Hall of Fame.[18]

Barresi continued to direct adult films, including several popular titles for the gay market, and was particularly noted for his military themes. Adult Video News has said Barresi's directorial efforts make him "undisputedly the king of military-themed videos."[8]

In addition to his work in pornographic film and video, Barresi toured in a 1980 summer stock suite of scenes from Neil Simon plays, headlined by Paul Lynde.[19] Barresi had several roles in mainstream film and television projects, including Perfect,[20] Spontaneous Combustion,[21] JAG and Father Dowling Mysteries. Barresi told Entertainment Tonight of the difficulty crossing over into mainstream film: "No one really takes a porn actor seriously ... and no one really respects a porn actor."[22]

Involvement with tabloids and celebrity scandals

John Travolta claim and retraction

According to an investigative report by Mark Ebner, "Barresi moved sharply higher on the Hollywood notoriety scale in 1990 when The National Enquirer ran a front-page story showcasing his claim that he'd had a two-year love affair with John Travolta."[23] Barresi told the tabloid he'd met Travolta in 1982 when the actor followed him into the shower room of an L.A. health club.[5] According to Jim D'Etremont of The Guide,[which?] Barresi said his relationship with Travolta continued through the filming of Perfect, but had cooled by 1990, when Travolta passed over Barresi for a personal trainer job. Barresi asked for and received $100,000 from The Enquirer in exchange for the details of his relationship with Travolta.[24] The issue was published on May 8, 1990.[25][26] Several months later, Barresi retracted his story, saying in a letter to Travolta's attorney that he'd never engaged in homosexual activity with Travolta.[5] Barresi told The Guide's Jim D'Etremont[who?] that he did so with assurances from Travolta's attorney that the affair could be brought "to a soft landing" if he issued a retraction and an apology: "I was having a nervous breakdown… I just wanted it to be over. But when the dust settled, I regretted the retraction a lot more than I regretted that initial call to the Enquirer."[24][27]

Michael Jackson allegations

In the wake of 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson, Barresi attempted to sell tabloid gossip in 1994 after secretly taping two accusers in order to scoop them.[28][29] Barresi claimed he met and dated Stella LeMarque, then surnamed "Marcroft," before she and husband Philippe married. The LeMarques tried to cash in on their story after being dismissed in 1991 as workers at Jackson's Neverland Ranch, claiming they had witnessed Jackson inappropriately touching Macaulay Culkin.[30] When their asking price was $100,000, Barresi said "'the hand was outside the kid's pants' ... As soon as their price went up to $500,000, the hand went inside the pants."[31]

Barresi appeared in a PBS Frontline documentary[season & episode needed] about the incident and described his involvement:

Barresi: So I called the editor at The Globe and I said, 'I have a tape, I'm on the way down town to hand it to the District Attorney.' And his words were, 'let us come with you.' And then I knew I had him. The next thought in my mind was I'm going to ask for $30,000. You always ask for twice as much as what you hope to get. He put me on hold, and within less than a minute he came back and he said 'well, we can't give you thirty, we'll give you ten.' I said 'make if fifteen,' he said 'you have a deal.'
Reporter: Could you see the headlines coming?
Barresi: Oh yeah, sure, and I could see that money coming too.[4]

According to Maureen Orth of Vanity Fair, Barresi had arranged the $15,000 deal with The Globe, but he got impatient and contracted tabloid broker Kevin Smith of Splash News Service, who placed it with The Daily Mirror for $2,400. When the Globe deal came through, Smith couldn't undo the Mirror deal, and the Mirror scoop kept Barresi from getting paid by The Globe. Smith claims Barresi came to his office "with a gun and a huge bodyguard," and Smith arranged for Barresi to get $1,000.[32] In the end, the DA decided that the stories of the LeMarques and that of the Quindoys (who also sold their story to the tabloids) could not be used. Barresi ended up making $30,000 in total on the Jackson story.[4]

Eddie Murphy incident

Following a 1997 incident involving Eddie Murphy and a transgender prostitute, Barresi collected statements from other sex workers alleging encounters with Murphy.[9] With the exception of the person with whom Murphy was found, Barresi said, "In less than 10 days, I got them all to sign sworn, videotaped depositions, stating it wasn't Murphy himself, but rather a look-alike, who they'd encountered."[33]

Involvement with Anthony Pellicano

Barresi began working with private investigator Anthony Pellicano around the time of the 1994 Jackson incident. According to Barresi, Pellicano would purchase tabloid reporters' celebrity gossip before it became public. He then would offer to do damage control for $25,000 or more. "He says these people pursue him to hire him, when in fact, he pursues them," said Barresi.[34] Barresi says he also assisted Pellicano in a 1994 investigation of paternity claims involving Barry Bonds and a porn actress.[35]

Barresi told ABC News about his work with Pellicano, "Whenever there was a damaging story involving a celebrity client that involved sex, then I was involved." Barresi said that Pellicano hired him to "get dirt on" Pellicano's former client Sylvester Stallone.[2] The actor's phone was allegedly bugged by Pellicano during a lawsuit over Planet Hollywood.[36] Barresi told Vanity Fair that Pellicano had a vendetta against Stallone after the two had a falling-out: "Pellicano hired me on two occasions to find dirt on Stallone.The first time was in 1995 or '96 and then again in late 2001."[37]

Barresi told LA Weekly that Pellicano hired him when Arnold Schwarzenegger was considering running for governor in 2001, "to look for information that may be of good use to Schwarzenegger’s detractors," so Schwartzenegger's team could prepare for any damage control.[38][2] Barresi submitted 27 pages but could not say who requested the probe.[39]

Barresi gave information to journalist and biographer, Andrew Morton, which alluded to an event of June 2001. According to Barresi, a male pornographic performer had approached him on the set in hopes to sell a story about a sexual encounter with Tom Cruise. This encounter allegedly took place in London, U.K. in 1999. Barresi arranged a meeting for himself and said performer to review the matter in Pellicano’s office. [40][41] Despite personally taking the performer to Pellicano and despite the fact that Pellicano demonstrated keen interest in the story, Barresi stated to Morton that he always felt the performer’s story was not a credible one. [34] Nevertheless, per Barresi’s words, Pellicano pressed the issue to a higher level and soon the New York Times followed-up with a report indicating that Pellicano had informed Cruise’s Lawyer, Bertram Fields.[34] The New York Times further stated that upon reviewing the narration of a personal memoir which said performer provided to Pellicano, Attorney Fields admonished the performer to drop the matter in a letter of cease and desist. [42] In the end, Barresi added a claim that he received a sum of $5,000 for his efforts in bringing this account to the attention of Attorney Fields; Barresi concluded this statement indicating that the pornographic performer had fled to Europe after being seriously advised, by Barresi himself, to go into hiding. [34] [40]

Barresi was bequeathed illegally taped phone conversations made by Jim Mitteager, the Los Angeles bureau chief of tabloid The Globe. after Mitteager died of throat cancer in 1997.[43] Barresi told reporter Drew Griffin "[Mitteager] indicated to the person who gave them to me that I would know what to do with them," and Barresi arranged for KCBS-TV to air them in a multi-part series in 2004.[44] The tapes aired by KCBS include a conversation where Pellicano offers Mitteager a story about his new client Jean-Claude Van Damme in return for Mitteager's dropping one about client Whoopi Goldberg.[45]

In 1999, Barresi says he was assigned by Pellicano to investigate a model who named Chris Rock in a paternity suit.[46] Barresi also says he was hired to look into the sexual orientation of Gavin de Becker, a successful security consultant of whom Pellicano was jealous.[47]

Barresi also claims that he has been sought out for comment by the press as the 2002-2008 Pellicano criminal-defense case unfolded. Barresi told the New York Times he has been aiding the defense team for entertainment lawyer Bertram Fields, a long-term client of Pellicano's who is now under investigation, in hopes of a later payday.[34] Barresi also reportedly worked with attorneys for producer Jules Nasso in 2006. As part of a lawsuit, they seek Pellicano's wiretapped calls for any evidence that Steven Seagal ordered Pellicano to terrorize former Variety reporter Anita Busch[48] In May 2006, Barresi turned over tapes from Mitteager with transcriptions to the FBI.[49]

Pellicano was sentenced in December 2008 to 15 additional years in prison for wire taping and racketeering. He had previously served for illegal firearms and homemade grenades. Pelicano was further ordered (with two other defendants) to forfeit $2 million. [50][51][52]

References

  1. ^ D'Entremont, Jim (March 1998). "Profiled: Paul Barresi." The Guide
  2. ^ a b c *Holson, Laura M. and Bernard Weinraub (November 17, 2003). Hollywood's Investigator To the Stars Heads to Jail. New York Times
  3. ^ "Hollywood Confidential Investigations". Private Investigator License Search. California Department of Consumer Affairs. 17 November 2011. http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/WLLQRYNA$LCEV2.QueryView?P_LICENSE_NUMBER=26529&P_LTE_ID=651. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
  4. ^ a b c Cramer, Richard Ben (February 15, 1994) Tabloid Truth: The Michael Jackson Story. Frontline, PBS
  5. ^ a b c Young, Paul (2002). L.A. Exposed: Strange Myths and Curious Legends in the City of Angels. St. Martin's Griffin, ISBN 9780312206468
  6. ^ a b c Ebner, Mark and Jack Cheevers (April 26, 2001). The Bagman. New Times LA
  7. ^ Mardonov, D. (March 2003). Standing Tall with Paul. Adult Video News
  8. ^ a b Spencer, Jeremy (October 2002). Reporting for Booty (review). Adult Video News.
  9. ^ a b "Page 2: Hollywood 'Fixer' Now Has Some Celebrities Fearing the Worst". ABC News: p. 2. 16 February 2006. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/LegalCenter/story?id=1625097&page=2. Retrieved 19 November 2011. 
  10. ^ Caruso, Michelle (April 9th 2005). "EX-AIDE: I SAW GROPE. Testifies Jacko went wacko on Culkin". New York Daily News. http://web.archive.org/web/20101030003458/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/04/09/2005-04-09_ex-aide__i_saw_grope___testi.html. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
  11. ^ "Co-Ed Fever". IAFD. http://www.iafd.com/title.rme/title=coed+fever/year=1980/coed-fever.htm. Retrieved 19 November 2011. 
  12. ^ The Advocate, Issues 561-566. Liberation Publications. 1990-10. http://books.google.com/books?id=VbYgAQAAMAAJ. "...appeared in about 50 sex videos, including the very straight Coed Fever..." 
  13. ^ http://business.avn.com/articles/gay/Barresi-Moves-On-to-Falcon-28355.html
  14. ^ Skee, Mickey (July 2003). Bad Boys. Paul Barresi. Sam Tyson and Michael Knight Impersonators? Gay/Bi Gossip column on Adult Video News
  15. ^ http://business.avn.com/articles/video/2003-GayVN-Award-Nominations-Announced-32344.html
  16. ^ "The Velvet Mafia: Part 2 (2006) (V) - Awards". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1066352/awards. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
  17. ^ "Michael Lucas’ ’La Dolce Vita’ Sets GAYVN Record". Edge Boston. 26 February 2007. http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=18431. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
  18. ^ "Hall of Fame". Adult Video News. http://gayvnawards.avn.com/noms/hall-of-fame.html. Retrieved 21 November 2011. 
  19. ^ Barresi played the Borden Eisler role from Plaza Suite. Wilson, Steve and Joe Florenski (2005). Center Square: The Paul Lynde Story. Advocate Books, ISBN 155583793X, and tribute site
  20. ^ Scott, Paul (September 8, 2006). Kiss of death for Travolta's career? The Daily Mail
  21. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (2001). Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Filmography. McFarland. p. 1548. ISBN 9780786409518. http://books.google.com/books?id=a21ZAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
  22. ^ Moran, Julie (March 8, 1997). Cover story: Porn. Entertainment Tonight
  23. ^ People (1991). People Weekly: Private Lives : The Year in Review : 1991, p. 10. Oxmoor House, Incorporated, ISBN 9780848711146
  24. ^ a b D'Entremont, Jim (March 1998) Tricking with Travolta. The Guide
  25. ^ Gallagher, John and Alan Frutkin (April 4, 1995). The Final Frontier. The Advocate.
  26. ^ Rutledge, Leigh W. (1992). The gay decades: from Stonewall to the present : the people and events that shaped gay lives, p. 343. Plume, ISBN 978-0452268104
  27. ^ Wockner, Rex (Mar 21, 2000). Quote Unquote #169.
  28. ^ MJEOL (March 31, 2005). DA Got Conned with LeMarque "Witness" Story? MiniBullet #17. Contains embedded clip from Cramer's 1994 Frontline piece.
  29. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=QWbFC7coiC4C&pg=PA82&dq=%22paul+barresi%22+%22michael+jackson%22&hl=en&ei=C7OTTve3NMXkiAK3xfj9BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22paul%20barresi%22%20%22michael%20jackson%22&f=false
  30. ^ Friedman, Roger (April 11, 2005). Jacko 'Major-Domo' Lied About Cashing In. Fox News
  31. ^ Fischer, Mary A. (October 1994) Was Michael Jackson Framed? The Untold Story. GQ.
  32. ^ Orth, Maureen (January 1994). Nightmare in Neverland. Vanity Fair
  33. ^ Wilson, Chris (March 2, 2006). Scandal Haunts Murphy Split. New York Post
  34. ^ a b c d e Halbfinger, David M. and Allison Hope Weiner (April 6, 2006). Complex Maneuvering Over Evidence in Hollywood Wiretapping Scandal. New York Times
  35. ^ Rush, George and Joanna Molloy (April 5, 2006). Did Bonds cast a private eye on porn star? New York Daily News
  36. ^ ABC News Primetime (February 16, 2006). Hollywood 'Fixer' Now Has Some Celebrities Fearing the Worst.
  37. ^ Burrough, Bryan, and John Connolly (June 2006). Inside Hollywood's Big Wiretap Scandal. Vanity Fair
  38. ^ Finke, Nikki (November 20, 2003). Arnold, Pellicano, and Politics. LA Weekly
  39. ^ Fields-Meyer, Thomas, Champ Clark, Frank Swertlow, and Sam Jemielity (December 8, 2003). L.A. Confidential. People Magazine
  40. ^ a b Morton, Andrew R.. Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-35986-1
  41. ^ Rush, George and Joanna Molloy (May 20, 2005). Holmes is where Tom's heart is. New York Daily News
  42. ^ Lasden, Martin (2006). The Pelicano Effect. California Lawyer Magazine.
  43. ^ Finke, Nikki (March 14, 2006). Old, Old News: Pellicano/Tabloids. LA Weekly
  44. ^ Drew Griffin (February 12, 2004). The Real Source. CBS 2 Special Assignment, KCBS-TV
  45. ^ Studio Briefing (February 25th, 2004). The Private Eye and the Tabloids. via movieweb.com
  46. ^ Krikorian, Greg, Chuck Philips and Robert Welkos (April 25, 2006). Chris Rock Turned to Pellicano in '99 Suit. Los Angeles Times
  47. ^ Rush, George and Joanna Molloy (March 17, 2006). Private eye looked to ruin H'wood security honcho. New York Daily News
  48. ^ Rush, George and Joanna Molloy (February 6, 2006). Exciting testimony on tap? New York Daily News
  49. ^ Grove, Lloyd (May 9, 2006). Supersnoop had an eye for top talent. New York Daily News
  50. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2008-12-15). "15 Years for Hollywood Investigator". Associated Press. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30pellicano.html. Retrieved 2008-12-15. 
  51. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/business/media/16pellicano.html
  52. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/24/national/24PELL.html

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