Recent Findings from the Institute of Rita Studies

New research has found that an early 20th-century actor, Rafaela Ottiano, played the role of Russian Rita in the 1933 film, She Done Him Wrong.

The New York Times writes:
During the talkie era, Ottiano specialized in sinister, spiteful characterizations. As aging trollop Russian Rita in She Done Him Wrong (1933), she meets her well-deserved end at the hands of Mae West.
In The Devil Doll (1935), she makes clear her plans to exploit her scientist husband's "miniaturization" process by hissing malevolently, "We'll make the whole world small!!!!" (Rafaela Ottiano, Filmography, www.movies2.nytimes.com)

It remains unclear whether Ottiano had connections with the real Rita or not. Afterall, Russian Rita was just a fictional character. Or was she? Two years later, Ottiano played yet another sinister role in The Devil Doll. In this film, she had aspirations of destroying the world as we know it. Coincidence? Maybe. What this new research has exposed is a fork in the path of Rita Studies. Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? Did Ottiano choose to imitate the art/fiction of Rita from the film and did this role lead her astray OR was the film simply imitating the reality of Rita in our world?
And there are more questions:

1. Is Ottiano really evil or is she just a poseur?
2. Did Rita manifest herself through Ottiano's body?
3. Was the author aware of Rita?
4. Was Ottiano innocent until she played the role of Russian Rita? Did she become evil only after having played the role?

Hopefully, The Institute of Rita Studies will provide us with the answers we are seeking.