Fred Gwynne

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Teresa,
Thank you so much for posting this delightful tribute to Fred Gwynne. I always loved this man's work, and was astonished to discover that many of his books (such as "The King who Rained" and "A Chocolate Moose for Dinner") were favorites in our home when my children were young - and I somehow never made the connection.

(The King Who Rained)

(A Chocolate Moose for Dinner)

Fred's early work included a stint at the Brattle Theater Company, about the same time as my parents did; who knows if they might have crossed paths that early?

An even closer connection took place when my father acted in "Herman Munster, Shutterbug:"

Joe De Santis, far left.

I don't recall anything particular my father may have said about Fred Gwynne - I wish now I had been aware enough at the time to question him more deeply about his experiences with other stars - but I do recall that he got angry when thinking about Toody in Car 54; he thought the "Ooh! Ooh!" gag was irritating and that the character was stupid.

I'm sorry I never had a chance to meet Fred, but this documentary about his life was most enlightening.

-Chris De Santis 

https://lamefrogapplause.blogspot.com/2020/10/frog-applause-readers-are-diverse-lot.html

https://lamefrogapplause.blogspot.com/2020/11/maria-paoli.html

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Maria Paoli

Joe's mother, Maria, at Realistic Display Products on 54 Bond Street in New York, along with her nephew Emil Di Mattia who owned the company. Maria's job involved pasting silk leaves on green wires that had been dipped in glue.

An interesting story about Maria is that in 1962, at the age of 90, she paid for a honeymoon cruise to Italy for a granddaughter and her new husband... and sent herself along as a chaperone.

Here she is aboard the ship Cristoforo Columbo, greeting the Captain:

She did this from the savings of what must have been very meagre earnings at her job. Once my mother asked her how she managed to save up that kind of money, and Nonna's answer in her broken English became a byword in our family for avoiding frivolous purchases:

"Don't-a buy-a hotdog onna street-a!" 

Not that I've ever really been able to follow that good advice, but I remember it all the same.

My grandparents were not unfortunate looking:

I love sharing family stories and photos. If you have an interesting family member and have some old photos to share, please write to me. Those of you on the LittleLameLetter List know how to contact me. Click on Maria's name above to read the previous post introducing her, her son, and grandson (The Old Wolf).

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