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I always prefer it when authors personalize their little "the following portrayals are based in fiction" disclaimers in the first few pages of a book. What exactly it adds for me, I have no idea, but I think it's that it's entertaining, in a wink wink, nod nod sort of way, to see the author, outside of the work of art in question, discussing the work of art qua a work of art qua its basis in reality or lack thereof and how, at once, in holds dominion in both reality and unreality. How delighted I was then when I found this on one of the opening pages of Fernando del Paso's epic and masterful Palinuro of Mexico:

"This is a work of fiction.
If certain characters resemble certain people in real life, it is because certain people in real life resemble characters from a novel.
Nobody, therefore, is entitled to feel included in this book.
Nobody, by the same token, to feel excluded."