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Revision as of 20:32, 20 April 2006 by Jokestress (talk | contribs) (chronology, add headings)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Paul Barresi (born 12 January 1948 or 1949 ) is an American film director and media personality.
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Barresi enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1973 after completing his tour at March Air Force Base.
Work in film
Barresi had an uncredited role as a bartender in The Wild Party, released in 1975. In March 1975, Barresi appeared with Cassandra Peterson in a Playgirl pictorial. This led to a number of appearances in print and film as a pornographic model and actor.
In addition to his work in pornographic film, Barresi appeared as a member of the Sports Connection gym in the 1985 film Perfect, starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Involvement with tabloids and celebrity scandals
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. 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"
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.
According to Ebner, in the wake of that incident, Barresi became an unlicensed private detective and a broker of tabloid gossip, attempting to sell a story of allegations involving Michael Jackson. He got involved with Anthony Pellicano around the time of the 1994 Jackson incident. He later attempted to broker stories following a 1997 incident involving Eddie Murphy and a transgender prostitute.
Barresi told ABC News about his involvement 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" Sylvester Stallone and that the actor's phone was allegedly bugged by Pellicano during a lawsuit over Planet Hollywood.
The New York Daily News reported that In November 2002, Barresi arranged for porn actor "Big Red" to meet with Pellicano to discuss selling his story about his alleged London sexual encounter with Tom Cruise.
Jim Mitteager, a former New York City cop who became Los Angeles bureau chief of tabloid The Globe, taped all of his phone conversations. Mitteager died of throat cancer in 1997, his wife gave them to Barresi seven years later. Barresi told reporter Drew Griffin " indicated to the person who gave them to me that I would know what to do with them," and Barresi made a deal with KCBS-TV to air them in 2004.
Since that time, Barresi has continued to direct adult films, primarily for the gay market. He has been sought out for comment by the press as the Pelicano case has unfolded.
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References
- Most sources give 1948. See Jake Enclan, "Paul Barresi: Still angry after all these years." Fab!, March 3, 2000, or Paul Barresi entry at Adult Film Database, or Jim D'Entremont, "Profiled: Paul Barresi." The Guide, March 1998.
- Birth year given as 1949 in Paul Barresi entry at LukeFord.com
- Dr. Mardonov (March 2003). Standing Tall with Paul. Adult Video News
- ^ Ebner, Mark and Jack Cheevers (April 26, 2001). The Bagman. New Times Los Angeles
- ABC News Primetime (February 16, 2006). Hollywood 'Fixer' Now Has Some Celebrities Fearing the Worst.
- Rush & Molloy (May 20, 2005). Holmes is where Tom's heart is. New York Daily News
- Kinke, Nikki (March 14, 2006). Old, Old News: Pellicano/Tabloids. LA Weekly
- Drew Griffin (February 12, 2004). The Real Source. CBS 2 Special Assignment, KCBS-TV
External links
- Holson, Laura M. and Bernard Weinraub (November 17, 2003). Hollywood's Investigator To the Stars Heads to Jail. New York Times
- Halbfinger, David M. and Allison Hope Weiner (April 6, 2006). Complex Maneuvering Over Evidence in Hollywood Wiretapping Scandal. New York Times