Actor Robert Blake was of Italian descent. In several films, he portrayed Latino, Indian, or American roles.
Blake was born in Nutley, New Jersey on September 18, 1933. His parents were Giacomo (James) Gubitosi and Elizabeth Cafone. He was one of his parents’ three children.
Blake’s parents began performing songs and dances. In 1936, Robert and his siblings began touring as “The Three Little Hillbillies.” The late actor and his brothers were movie extras when they moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1938.
Blake had a difficult upbringing. He was mistreated by his drunken father. The In Cold Blood actor started going to a public school at the age of ten, where he was teased and got into confrontations with other pupils. He was therefore expelled.
Blake once said that he was sexually and physically abused by both of his parents when he was a youngster and that they would often punish him by having him eat food off the floor and putting him in a closet.
At the age of 14, the celebrity ran away from home, leading to many more difficult years. His father killed himself in 1956.
