Fred Otash

Fred Otash (January 7, 1922 – October 5, 1992) was a Los Angeles police officer, private investigator, author, and a WWII Marine veteran, who became known as a Hollywood fixer, while operating as its "most infamous" private detective; he is most remembered as "the inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character Jake Gittes in the film, Chinatown, and by name as a fictionalized narrator in several books by author James Ellroy. He was interviewed numerous times in the media, including in 1957 by Mike Wallace, an interview that can be viewed online via the University of Texas.