Abe Vigoda — Secrets And Scandals He Took To His Grave!

Abe Vigoda has passed away at the age of 94 — but the beloved "Barney Miller" star told The National ENQUIRER that he wasn't afraid of death! The veteran actor revealed his supernatural secret in an exclusive 1978 interview where he revealed he was visited by the ghost of his dead brother! Abe and his wife Beatrice had returned to their New York City apartment after Bill's funeral, and were wracked with grief as they went to bed. "We were just drifting off to sleep when suddenly we heard a loud snap," Abe said. "The window shade in the bedroom, which had been pulled down, was now up and spinning around very rapidly. My wife and I sat up in bed and watched in amazement. Suddenly it came to me. My brother Bill was doing this. His ghost, or his spirit, was moving the window shade! He was saying, "Abe, I'm still here!' I know now that when we pass away, it's only the body that dies. The important thing, our spirit, lives on forever!"

Abe had also enjoyed success with a role in 1972's "The Godfather," but "Barney Miller" brought on a different level of fame. Abe even found himself a hit with the ladies! The ENQUIRER reported in 1976 that Abe, then 55, had become Hollywood's hottest new sex symbol. He was getting hundreds of adoring fan letters every month — many from beautiful women half his age! "I don't know what I've got, but the young girls sure go for it," declared the delightfully amazed actor. "Some of them send pictures of themselves in bikinis or modeling poses — and write that they find me appealing, sexy and irresistible!" Abe averaged about 250 letters a month — more than young "Streets of San Francisco" star Michael Douglas!

Abe was less gracious when his short-lived "Barney Miller" spinoff "Fish" was canceled after a single season. "Lousy Writing Killed My Show!" said The ENQUIRER headline, and Abe was blunt about ABC letting his talent go to waste. "They were writing jokes for me. But 'Fish' was the type of show where the humor should have come out of the situations," said Abe, adding, "in this show, he would come home, sit in his lounge chair and it was just not Fish. It was all wrong!" But while "Fish" was dead, it looked like Abe's career was still very much alive as he considered new shows and an offer to go on Broadway.

Instead, Abe (seen here in 1980) soon learned that Hollywood had developed a real dislike for the determined actor! The ENQUIRER had the inside scoop in 1981 about how the industry was ready to blacklist Abe! A major Hollywood agent told The ENQUIRER that Abe was on the outs for good! "He's got a horrible reputation in Hollywood," the agent said. "Onscreen, Americans fell in love with him, but behind the camera he caused all kinds of havoc — from costly delays in production time to his outrageous salary demands" Another source said: "It's kind of tragic. Abe came from nowhere and returned to nowhere in just under five years. He was a producer's and a director's nightmare!"

Abe got lucky in 1988, though — after PEOPLE magazine reported that he was dead in 1982! The still-alive actor finally turned to The ENQUIRER to set the record straight! "It was funny at first, but it's not funny anymore," said Abe. "Even though the magazine printed a retraction, people really think I'm dead!" Abe also revealed that the whole experience was like attending his own funeral. "My wife keeps getting condolence cards from people who believe I died," he told The ENQUIRER. Fortunately, the exposure from The ENQUIRER turned things around for Abe. He played John Travolta's grandfather in the talking-baby comedy hit "Look Who's Talking" in 1989, and starred on the big screen with Tom Hanks in 1990's "Joe Versus the Volcano."

After that, Abe (photographed in 1990 with his wife Beatrice) was working steadily — and National ENQUIRER readers learned in 2002 that Abe wasn't slowing down at the age of 81. He even had a daily jogging routine! The actor was putting on his running shoes and taking off for two miles five times a week. Abe was also still saying no to retirement. The proud New Yorker was looking into doing another TV series, hopefully playing a grandfather. The five-time Emmy nominee said that being in showbiz for decades had its advantages. These days, he said, he chooses only parts that "I feel will be fun!"

Eight years later, Abe talked to The ENQUIRER about his legendary 2010 Super Bowl commercial for Snickers — where he played football alongside Betty White! In the popular spot, the " Golden Girls" star and Abe — then both 88 years old — talked smack and got sacked!" There was no trick photography. I really went down," the beetlebrowed " Barney Miller" star laughed during an exclusive ENQUIRER interview. "And I got no cushion! No way! I got hit and went down, but I got right back up again. And it wasn't like there were a bunch of doctors and nurses standing around on the set, either. I helped myself up!" The octogenarian actor credited a lifetime of regular exercise for his athleticism — but admitted that he had finally given up jogging.

But The ENQUIRER was also there as Abe began to go out in style! The veteran actor (hanging out here with punk rocker Marky Ramone) struggled to find the strength to meet his fans in his sad final days — and made some pocket money, too! ENQUIRER reporters found Abe at an October convention just last year meeting with fans for photographs at $60 a shot! "He's too frail to sign autographs," explained his rep, "but Abe loves meeting people and getting paid for it!" Lucky fans also commented on how generous Abe was with his time, and chatted with them until he was exhausted! As he said in The ENQUIRER in 1978: "You don't see it, but Fish has a soft spot — and, in that respect, we're very similar!"

And don't think that Abe feared death! Shortly after starting the "Fish" spinoff show, Abe revealed to The ENQUIRER that he believed in reincarnation. "Everything that's happened to me has been predestined," he declared. "There is no doubt in my mind that I was meant to play the character of Fish on 'Barney Miller' and then go on to play the starring role of Fish on my own TV show. It's been a long, hard struggle to make it to the top and there were some very lean years before I achieved this success. But I never gave up hope! I don't mean people shouldn't do anything about their future. What I mean is that when you want to do something, it's destined that you want to do it. Never give up!"