Inside LAPD’s Secret Robert Redford file

Files on stars varied from Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand to Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis and Connie Chung, as well as public figures, including presidential hopeful Jerry Brown and heavyweight Muhammad Ali.

Former detective Mike Rothmiller, who worked within the unit and later wrote the book La Secret Policesaid: “We were instructed to dig into every aspect of the life of a famous person. Their gender, their drinks, their business deals – it all went into the file, whether it was relevant or not.”

Redford’s own file, said Rothmiller, reflected the paranoia of the era.

“He was the golden boy of America on the screen, but that did not stop them from following him, listening to calls or speculating about whom he met in Hotellounges,” he added.

According to Rothmiller, Ocid rarely took the trouble for Warrants. If there was a target in a hotel, officers can rent the next room, hit a hole in the wall and insert a microphone.