Name Jim Mitteager Role Journalist | Died July 24, 1997 | |
James J. Mitteager (17 July 1946 – 24 July 1997) was an American journalist who worked for several tabloid newspapers and covered numerous high-profile incidents.
Life and career
In 1973 Mitteager worked for the New York City Police Department before becoming a journalist. While working as a freelance writer for the New York Post, Mitteager was acquitted in 1979 on charges that he had bribed a correction officer to obtain photographs and information about murderer David Berkowitz.
In 1989, Mitteager helped The National Enquirer scoop People in getting the first photo of Riley Keough, oldest grandchild of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley.
Mitteager served as Los Angeles bureau chief of tabloid The Globe. Around the time of Mitteager's death, secret recordings of his conversations with celebrities and their representatives while at The Globe came to light. The press also reported on his relationship with investigator Anthony Pellicano. According to Los Angeles magazine, "Shortly before his death, he gave hundreds of tapes he had secretly recorded to Paul Barresi, a strong arm leg man for Pellicano." Nikki Finke reported on the remaining tapes, "When Mitteager died of lung cancer, the tapes were left to his wife, who then gave them to her husband’s favorite tipster, Paul Barressi [sic], the adult film producer and occasional leg man for Pellicano." Conversations on a few tapes brought to light how Pellicano would approach celebrities and their representatives with tips from reporters, and then offer to have the stories killed in exchange for payment.