The Playboy Murders on ID: What happened to Charles Gold, aka Black Bart?

Charles Gold, aka Black Bart, was found with bullet wounds in his Phoenix home in October 1992. He was married to a former Playboy model named Carole Gold, who was the first to report the incident to authorities. Moreover, the autopsy revealed that the victim was shot multiple times.

An investigation took place, after which it was discovered that Carole's son from a previous marriage, Kenneth Cottini, had contacted his drug dealer asking for a hitman. The hired hitman, Dan Goddard, later testified that he committed the act at the behest of the mother-son duo who desired to claim Gold's life insurance money and control of his horse stables.

The Playboy Murders on ID will revisit the decades-old case of Charles Gold, who was gunned down in a sinister plot orchestrated by his former Playboy bunny wife, Carole Gold, and stepson. The episode, titled Black Bart and the Bunny, airs this Monday, February 13, 2023, at 10 pm ET.

The official synopsis of the episode states:

"When a former Playboy bunny's husband is shot dead at home, the investigation reveals sordid affairs, family infighting and a possible hired hit; the search for the truth ultimately leads to multiple suspects, including some close to home."

---

Charles Gold, known for playing Black Bart, was shot multiple times at his Phoenix home

Charles Gold, who played Black Bart as a performer, was gunned down at his Phoenix home in 1992 (Image via The Cinemaholic)

Charles Gold played Black Bart, a villain dressed in black with a bushy mustache, often occasionally playing offstage as well. Gold and his performers dressed up as gunfighters, with boots, chaps, and gun belts, for an old-fashioned brawl lacking real bullets. The group frequently performed for charitable causes in rodeos and restaurants with a Western theme and was also featured in TV shows and films.

However, on October 20, 1992, 51-year-old Gold was gunned down at his Phoenix home after returning from a convention. His wife, former Playboy bunny Carole Gold, was the first to report the incident to authorities. She reportedly called 911 at 10.30 pm after finding his bullet-riddled body on the kitchen floor. He was shot eight times, with the final bullet lodged between his eyes.

The two had been childhood friends and only started dating in 1977, getting married a year later. They eventually moved to Arizona and ran a stable at the Point Hilton Resort in Tapatio Cliffs. Carole's son from her previous marriage, Kenneth Cottini, also lived with them and helped at the stable. However, he was embroiled in a major fallout with Gold and owed money to people because of his drug addiction.

---

Charles Gold's then-wife and his stepson hired a hitman to have him murdered

Carole Gold, on of the first Playboy bunnies, and her stepson hired a hitman to have her husband murdered (Image via The Cinemaholic)

After Charles Gold's murder, detectives thoroughly investigated his stepson, Kenneth Cottini. They found out through his drug dealer, Robert Pryor, that the 22-year-old had contacted him asking about a hitman to get his step-father murdered. He claimed to have given him the contact of Dan Goddard, who later testified that he shot Gold to death following Carole and Kenneth's orders.

Sources state that the murder motive was to seize control of the victim's horse stables and his $150,000 life insurance policy. Carole was convicted on conspiracy and first-degree murder charges in October 1997, and was given a life sentence in prison, regardless of her claims that she "had nothing to do with this crime" and that she "always loved Charles Gold."

Gold's daughter Stephanie claimed she was satisfied with the sentencing, which came five years after her father was brutally murdered. She said:

"Those eight shots did more than kill my father. You took my family. You took Grandma’s son. For that reason alone, I hope you burn in hell."

Meanwhile, Kenneth pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, as his defense labeled him the “messenger boy.” He was given an 18-year sentence in October 1997. However, his drug dealer, Pryor, also managed to secure a deal and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The hitman, Goddard, was given immunity from prosecution in return for his testimony.