For the past few years, we have been located in Burbank, California, on the 2nd floor of the Dick Clark Productions offices, just across from NBC studios. However, I have purchased a large lot in Riverside and have moved my operations there.

                                                                                      I will still maintain an active relationship with Dick Clark. 

       First off let me state that I do not option or buy scripts or stories from outside sources, All of my original programing is developed in-house. It has come to my attention from the various e-mails that I get each week that our name and address has been "sold" to those seeking to sell their scripts, Don't send or fax them to me! You will be wasting a stamp or a phone call! In addition, we do not hire from outside our inner circle. If I didn't think it up, I don't produce it!

         In 1977, Backstreet Investigations was formed by the late Fred Valis in association with the database service Investigator’s Support Services owned and operated by Dan “Danno” Hanks.

         In 1990 Backstreet Investigations & Investigator’s Support Services established the Television Production Services Division under the name Backstreet Productiions. Backstreet Productions of California has now become

                                                                                  "Smokin' Gun Productions"

Dan “Danno” Hanks & Fred Valis have been investigators & producers for Hard Copy, Inside Edition, A Current Affair, Extra, Geraldo Rivera & many others. Coming from a background where they had to do everything, from shooting, writing & cutting the finished pieces, to sweeping up the floors.  They became one of the best investigative news team in the L.A. area, and possibly the entire U.S., and, amazingly, because they very rarely got credit for their work, they were best kept secret in the news business.

        In January, 1997, Danno Hanks was asked by the executive producer Dan Leighton of Fox Undercover on  to put together an investigative team. It had to be ethnically and culturally diverse group that could fit in anywhere and be bi-lingual; at home in a corporate board room or moving through the underbelly of any major city. Police and  street contacts all over North & South America were a must, as well as an ability to work unsupervised, independent and isolated from the rest of . 

       Danno Hanks and Fred Valis, (partners for more then 25 years), spent most of their investigative career conducting sting operations for the DEA and as undercover operatives inside the Gambino Crime Family for the FBI, often not in contact with their control agent for weeks.  In 1990, after being profiled on 60 Minutes, Hanks & Valis were approached by Peter Brennan and asked to be his on-staff investigators and "special  projects" coordinators for A Current Affair. After a year with that show, Peter Brennan left to become the executive producer of Hard Copy, taking this investigative team with him.  After three years at Hard Copy, We left to work on other projects.

REALITY SERIES & SPECIALS

       In 2000, we were approched by the ABC television network's"STANDARDS & PRACTICES" division to develop the protocols for and conduct the background investigations for the first year of the Stone/Stanley productions' 

       Those protocols are in place for the production of the show to date.

         We have helped many other shows in a similar manner. However, confidentiality agreements with those shows prohibit mentioning them here. We can help you to comply with all of your network's "STANDARDS & PRACTICES" requirements.

Fred's IMBD credits                     Danno's IMBD credits