Fred Otash, a private detective known for holding the secrets of Hollywood's elite, has been the subject of a revealing new book titled "The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn." Otash, who passed away in 1992 at 70, led a life filled with intrigue and drama, and the book delves into his previously unseen investigative files.
Co-author Manfred Westphal gained access to Otash's archives through his daughter Colleen, with whom he developed a close relationship. Josh Young, co-author of the book, said it aimed to reveal what was behind Otash's life, his cases, and the events in Hollywood's Golden Age, which was the 1950s and 1960s.
Misfortunes marked Otash's early days - his father and brother died during the Great Depression. He served in the Marine Corps in World War II and then moved to Los Angeles, where he became a renegade cop before starting his private investigator career in 1955. Access to the best technological tools, like surveillance Tech, gave Otash the upper hand over law enforcement agencies in collecting data.
One thing that Otash is accredited to is his hands-on involvement in purging or disposing of documents that could make the Kennedy brothers, John F. Kennedy included, look quite unsavory for having an affair with Marilyn Monroe. The book asserts that the tapes Otash mentions held recordings of JFK committing intimate activities while at the beach house of actor Peter Lawford, who was connected to the Kennedy family.
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According to the book, Monroe's relationship with JFK was kept secret by Lawford, who considered himself the 'sexual archivist' of the Kennedy brothers. The book also suggests that Monroe's affair with JFK was not her first involvement with a prominent figure, as she allegedly had a prior relationship with actor Jayne Mansfield.
The recordings supposedly proving Monroe's affair with JFK have since gone missing, with speculation that they may have been destroyed or hidden by Otash's confidants. Otash also claimed to have heard Monroe's final moments through surveillance at her home, alleging that Lawford did not immediately seek help upon finding her unconscious.
The book sheds light on the circumstances surrounding Monroe's passing, providing an understanding of the occurrences preceding that sorrowful evening. Although it does not offer conclusive solutions, it deepens the enigma surrounding her premature death.
On the evening of August 4, 1962, a troubled Lawford, inebriated, approached Otash, disclosing the news of Monroe's demise. Otash, who had previously placed surveillance in Monroe's residence, possessed knowledge about the events leading to her death. Robert F. Kennedy, allegedly having an affair with Monroe, contacted Lawford to remove her from her home to avoid scandal. Monroe confronted Kennedy about their relationship and an alleged abortion.
Despite Lawford's attempts to calm her, Monroe's final call hinted despair. Upon discovering Monroe's lifeless body, Lawford failed to notify the authorities and instead sought to remove potentially incriminating evidence. Otash, who had a complex relationship with Monroe, was deeply affected by her passing, having known her as a client, friend, and confidante.
Despite his work's controversy and intrigue, Otash's legacy is complex. He witnessed firsthand the toll that fame and power took on individuals like Monroe, and his story serves as a cautionary tale about the darker side of Hollywood glamor.
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