After electrician Rand Gauthier stole the now-infamous Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape from the couple’s residence in 1995, he wanted a distributor; he wanted the world to see it. Gauthier had before performed in the adult film industry—he had been a porn star of sorts—and along the way met Milton Ingley (nicknamed “Uncle Miltie”), described in the Rolling Stone article (upon which the Hulu series Pam and Tommy is based) as “an overweight, pipe-smoking cheapskate studio owner who was partial to country music and Chambord.” He is played in the series by Nick Offerman.
At the time, Ingley had a recording studio and was making pornographic films. (He had also once been an adult film performer, before turning to producing and directing.) Gauthier came to Ingley for help making copies of the tape, which was in Hi8 format. Once they made copies, the two destroyed the original tape.
Even from the beginning, Gauthier knew that Ingley was a dodgy business partner. “Milton was the king of wheeling and dealing,” Gauthier told Rolling Stone. “He knew how to make a nickel into two dollars. Always schmoozing.” The two took the tape to major pornographic distributors, hoping for an easy sale. Many balked. The problem, of course, was that neither Gauthier nor Ingley held signed releases from Anderson and Lee. Sensing the tape was illegally obtained, distributors showed them the door.
Ingley, according to Rolling Stone, then took the tape to Louis “Butchie” Peraino, who had connections to a prominent New York mob family. Peraino lent Ingley $50,000 to make more copies of the tape and sell them online. Peraino was to receive interest on the loan and a percentage from the sales.
Ingley then copied the tapes and hired someone to build the websites as Gauthier took charge of shipments. While Gauthier was running the tape around L.A., Ingley went to New York and splurged with Peraino’s money— “$500 bottles of champagne, hookers every night, a room at the Plaza and lots of cocaine,” Rolling Stone reported.
As news of the tape spread, a biker gang would periodically pay a visit to Ingley’s studio, looking for the tape. (It’s unclear who hired them, though some believe it was Lee.) With pressure also coming from Peraino, Ingley left for the Netherlands. As copycat videos began to surface and profits slowed, Ingley was forced to sell his studio and cease shipments of the tape. While Ingley was able to pay Peraino back the loan, he still owed his financer interest. Knowing Peraino had cancer and hoping he would soon die and take the debts with him, Ingley decided to stay in Europe. Gauthier was forced to work the debt off, serving as one of the mob’s collectors as Ingley escaped retribution.
Where is Milton Ingley Now?
After Peraino died in 1999, Ingley returned to California, where he moved in with his daughter. According to Rolling Stone, Ingley stayed with his daughter until his death in 2006.
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