Evil Evel

Evel Knievel never denied his scrapes with the law — in fact the motorcycle daredevil often reveled in them, but even he objected to a 1970s FBI investigation of whether he was involved in a string of beatings, according to newly released files. These types of FBI files are available to the public after the death of their subjects.

Apparently, the federal government came close to charging Knievel, who in turn threatened to sue the FBI for alleging he was connected to a crime syndicate, yet neither followed through.

Knievel, who died jumped the great bus in the sky last year, repeatedly denied his involvement to both investigators and victims. Immortalized in the Smithsonian as "America's Legendary Daredevil" in his red, white and blue outfits, he had a knack for outrageous yarns and claimed to have been a swindler, a card thief, a safe cracker and a holdup man.

His most well-known run-in with the law was a 1977 attack on movie studio executive Shelly Saltman, whom the daredevil beat with a baseball bat in the parking lot of 20th Century Fox. Saltman promoted Knievel's infamous attempt to jump Idaho's Snake River Canyon and then wrote a book about the experience, angering Knievel by portraying him as "an alcoholic, a pill addict, an anti-Semite and an immoral person." Knievel was sentenced to six months in jail and Saltman won a $12.75 million judgment, but never collected. Saltman did not return a phone message recently to discuss the FBI file.

Knievel's file shows investigators believed he was involved with other violent acts — an attack in a Kansas City hotel room and a vicious beating in San Francisco. All were allegedly carried out by Knievel associates, according to subjects quoted in the file. Authorities also looked into an alleged threat made in Phoenix, but could find no information for the case. The investigation bounced between field offices in Miami, Chicago and California as Knievel's business associates were interviewed and his phone records examined.

Authorities first wanted to charge Knievel with violations of the Hobbs Act, which prohibits interfering with interstate commerce by attempting to rob or extort someone. But the case was dropped when a new federal prosecutor picked up the case and decided there was insufficient evidence. The daredevil's widow, Krystal Kennedy-Knievel, said she was unaware of any FBI investigation involving her husband and declined further comment.

Not all of Knievel's altercations were detailed by the FBI. Bob Gill, a competitor of Knievel's during the 1970s, said he was part of a confrontation associated with Knievel, but the daredevil later apologized and denied his involvement and the two became friends. Gill was not interviewed by the FBI, but said his run-in mirrored others described in the file and declined to elaborate. "I was really, really mad at Evel over the whole thing, but he apologized at least 10 times, and said it was out of his control and I believed him," Gill said.

Isn't it interesting to find out our entertainers, heroes, and iconic personalities may have a darker side? Anybody else spring to mind?