If you have not heard the name Anthony Pellicano, that’s fine. There are many celebrities that hope you don’t know about him. That is because many Hollywood celebrities have hired Pellicano as a private investigator. Which is fine, but unfortunately, Pellicano has been indicted on several counts of federal wiretapping, racketeering, and conspiracy. Pellicano also served time in a federal prison for illegally possessing explosives. It seems Pellicano may have learned all he knows about investigating from a less than honorable bunch – the mafia.
What is all the ruckus really about? Well, first, there are some big names tied to the Pellicano case. The LAPD found records on celebrities and other public figures including tapes of Sylvester Stallone’s phone and confidential police records for Garry Shandling and Kevin Nealon – all obtained illegally by Pellicano and associates. Tapes of phone conversations by Warren Beatty, Garry Shandling, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, and Keith Carradine were also found in Pellicano’s possession. Carradine’s then wife (and now Pellicano girlfriend) hired Pellicano to investigate him and gather information for use during their divorce proceedings. Other big names Pellicano has worked for include Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson.
It was reported just this week that Chris Rock hired Pellicano to investigate a 1999 paternity case against him. Pellicano allegedly accessed confidential police records to find dirt on the model who claimed Rock was the father of her child. How did Pellicano get the confidential police records of all these people? He supposedly had an inside contact with LAPD go through the databases looking for incriminating information. Oddly enough, all of this came to light when Pellicano hired an ex-con to threaten a reporter who was doing a story on a mob shakedown of Steven Seagal. Seagal was cleared of charges of trying to frighten the journalist, but the investigation into Pellicano and his business practices brought out all the other evidence, including the explosives that sent him to prison in 2002.
So far, the only big name charged with anything is John McTieman, director of Predator, The Hunt for Red October and Die Hard. He pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI about being unaware of Pellicano’s business practices. It was proven that he hired Pellicano to eavesdrop on an associate.
Pellicano has pleaded not guilty to all counts, but there are still celebrities shaking in their boots in Hollywood.