Tag: Bonnie Lee Bakley

Posted on

A Drink with the Dearly Departed

This past Saturday night, thanks to E.J. over at The Movieland Directory who made the introduction, Mike, from MovieShotsLA, his fiance, my boyfriend, and I met up with Scott Michaels, creator and founder of both the Find-A-Death website and the Dearly Departed Tour Company. Scott’s tours and website both focus on famous Hollywood death and scandal locations. (The bathroom stop on his tour is the very same bathroom where George Michael was caught with his pants down a few years back! LOL) You might remember Scott from a Season 2 episode of The Girls Next Door, entitled “Girls Will Be Ghouls”. In the episode, Bridget arranged to take the girls on Scott’s Dearly Departed tour right around Halloween. Ever since viewing that episode I have wanted to take the tour for myself, but have yet to get around to it. So I was especially excited to meet up with Scott this weekend! Besides The Girls Next Door, Scott has also been featured in the book “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” and on E!’s 20 Most Horrifying Hollywood Murders special.

Scott suggested we meet up for drinks at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City. Quite a fitting locale to meet up with the man who calls himself the “Director of Undertakings”, dontcha think? 🙂 For those not in the know, Vitello’s is the restaurant where Robert Blake’s wife Bonnie Lee Bakley ate her final meal before being murdered in her car which was parked just a block and a half away. At the time of her murder, Blake claims he had run back to Vitello’s to supposedly search for his lost gun. Nice alibi! I’ve eaten at Vitello’s a few times and it is a GREAT restaurant. One of my faves in all of L.A. And we had a blast hanging out with Scott. It was very cool to chat with him about Hollywood history and scandal locations.

img_1307

img_1305

After drinks, as morbid as it may sound, I asked Scott if he wouldn’t mind showing us the exact spot where Bonnie Lee Bakley’s murder took place. I knew it was just a block and a half away from Vitello’s, but I was never sure of the exact location. So after we finished our drinks, Scott led us over to the spot. It was very cool to be given a little mini-tour and history of the murder from the founder of Dearly Departed and Find-A-Death himself! : ) And now, I really can’t wait to take his tour! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Vitello’s Restaurant is located at 4349 Tujunga Avenue in Studio City. Bonnie Lee Bakley’s murder site is located a block and a half from the restaurant, just off the corner of Kraft Avenue and Woodbridge Street. Look for the large green electrical box on Woodbridge, just east of where it meets Kraft. Bonnie’s car was parked just in front of it when she was killed. You can visit the Dearly Departed website to book a tour with Scott here. Tickets run from $35 to $50, depending on the tour.

Posted on

"Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli"

My title might be a bit in poor taste, but it seems Robert Blake followed just that advice on a fateful day back in May 2001 after dining at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City. Although a jury found him not guilty, it is pretty widely assumed that Blake murdered his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley after eating at Vitello’s, while the two were parked just around the corner from the restaurant. So this weekend, while in Studio City, I dragged my boyfriend and my parents to do a little Vitello’s stalking.

Vitello’s had long been a favorite of Blake’s – he dined there at least 3 times a week – and the restaurant even named a dish after him – Fusilli a la Robert Blake (I’m not kidding!). On May 4, 2001, after finishing dinner and leaving the restaurant, Blake returned to Vitello’s claiming he left his gun in the booth where he had just eaten. While he was searching for his gun, Blake claimed his wife was shot while sitting in their parked car on Woodbridge Road, just around the corner from Vitello’s. Although Blake was charged with Bakley’s murder, he was aquitted of all charges on March 16, 2005.

At first I was a little hesitant to eat at the restaurant, thinking it might be a morbid stalking trip, but as soon as I walked in the door and was greeted by the Maitre D and the hundreds of autographed celebrity headshots on the entryway wall, all my fears were put aside. Vitello’s is a very charming place with AMAZING food at completely reasonable prices and absolutely FABULOUS service! It’s not too hard to see why the restaurant is a favorite of celebrities – it is definitely a place I will dine at again.

Robert’s house, where he lived with Bakley during their marriage, is located just a few blocks away from Vitello’s. Apparently, while Blake lived in the main house, Bakley stayed in a guest house located on the property. After the murder, Blake sold this house to Alex Kingston of ER fame. Alex had the home completely remodeled and subsequently sold it to another buyer. She never lived there.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Vitello’s Restaurant is located at 4349 Tujunga Avenue in Studio City. Try the cannoli’s – they are amazing!! You can visit their website here. After dinner, be sure to hit up Pomm, a super cute boutique and art gallery located right across the street at 4330 Tujunga Avenue – the Jenn + Jane jewelry they sell is adorable!! Robert Blake’s former home is located at 11604 Dilling Street in Studio City.