Robert Blake . . . a.k.a. the OTHER famous guy acquitted of murder . . . died yesterday of heart disease. He was 89 years old.
Blake was born Michael Gubitosi . . . and he appeared in the "Our Gang" comedies from 1939 to 1944 under the name Mickey Gubitosi.
As far as his acting career, he's best known for two things: Playing one of the killers in the 1967 movie "In Cold Blood", and playing a cop in the '70s drama "Baretta" . . . which earned him an Emmy.
But that legacy pales compared to the notoriety he gained as O.J. Simpson, Part 2.
In 2001, just a few years after Orenthal's acquittal, Blake's wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was murdered, and he was charged.
He was found NOT GUILTY in a criminal trial, but like O.J., he lost a civil trial and was ordered to pay her family $30 million. He filed for bankruptcy in 2006.
Three children survive Blake. . . including a daughter he had with Bakley.
Here's some terrifying trivia . . . at least in retrospect: Anthony Hopkins reportedly studied Blake's performance in "In Cold Blood" to prepare for his role as Hannibal Lecter in "Silence of the Lambs".
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