The Fixer

Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn

By: Josh Young, Manfred Westphal

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays, Manfred Westphal

A riveting tell-all biography that delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.

During the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age, one man lorded over the city’s lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no other: Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry.

Otash was notorious for bugging the homes, offices, and playpens of movie stars, kingmakers, and powerful politicians, employing then state-of-the-art methods of electronic surveillance and wiretapping for a who’s who list of clients for whom he’d do “anything short of murder.” He lied to federal authorities to protect Frank Sinatra from criminal liability; recorded Rock Hudson’s coming out confession to his estranged wife; moved in with Judy Garland to help her get sober; taped President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic love affairs with the greatest sex symbol of all time, and listened to Marilyn Monroe die.

Based on Otash’s never-before-seen investigative files and personal archives, The Fixer takes readers inside the sensational and nefarious world of the man whose life inspired the private eye characters portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Chinatown and Russell Crowe in LA Confidential.

Great Insights Into a Controversial Event

Very interesting and insightful, especially for someone who lived through that time, and has read and heard all the different versions.

Loved it!!

Fascinating story very compelling evidence about Marilyn Monroe’s last night alive. It was hard to pause this one.

Eye Opening

This was a nice memior of Freddy O and his life and times in Hollywood. He was the person that Mickey Spillane fashioned his character Mike Hammer after. There are many insightful surprises in this story.

A remarkable man.

I have read and heard many stories about the LAPD. This kind of tied a lot of loose ends together from the police department to the movie stars. An extremely interesting story about what went on behind the scenes.

Great Biography

It was a very informative and tremendously interesting book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Great years of the 50's and 60's Hollywood.