Pat DiCicco
| Pat DiCicco | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Pasquale DeCicco February 14, 1909 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
October 24, 1978 (aged 69) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | The Glamour Boy of Hollywood |
| Occupation | Agent, movie producer |
| Spouse(s) |
Mary Jo Tarola (m. 1953; div. 1960) |
Pasquale "Pat" DiCicco (February 14, 1909 – October 24, 1978) was an American agent and movie producer, as well as an alleged mobster working for Lucky Luciano.[1] He married and divorced both Thelma Todd and Gloria Vanderbilt. He was a cousin of Albert R. Broccoli and gave him his well-known nickname "Cubby."
Personal life
Todd's marriage in 1932 to DiCicco was particularly unstable and frequently erupted in drunken brawls, one of which resulted in a broken nose for DiCicco and an emergency appendectomy for Todd.[2] They divorced in 1934. Todd died a year later from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
At 17 years old, Gloria Vanderbilt went to Hollywood, where she married DiCicco in 1941.[3] DiCicco proved to be a temperamental and abusive husband who called her "Fatsy Roo," and regularly beat her. "He would take my head and bang it against the wall," Vanderbilt said. "I had black eyes."[4] They divorced in 1945.[5]
In 1953, DiCicco married actress Mary Jo Tarola (born February 27, 1928), also known by her stage name, Linda Douglas. The marriage lasted seven years before ending in divorce in 1960.
Ted Healy incident
DiCicco is alleged to have been involved in an altercation with comedian Ted Healy just before the latter's death in 1937.
A source alleged that actor Wallace Beery, producer Albert R. Broccoli, and Broccoli's cousin, agent/producer Pat DiCicco beat Healy so badly that he fell into a coma and died.[6] While there is no documentation in contemporaneous news reports that either Beery or DiCicco was present, Broccoli admitted that he was indeed involved in a fist fight with Healy at the Trocadero.[7] He later modified his story, stating that a heavily intoxicated Healy had picked a fight with him, the two had briefly scuffled, then shook hands and parted ways.[8] In other reports, Broccoli admitted to pushing Healy, but not striking him.[9]
There is disagreement over whether Healy died as a result of the brawl or due to his well-known alcoholism.[1] Because of the authorities' lack of interest in investigating Healy's death, an autopsy was not performed until after Healy's corpse had been embalmed; rendering the examiner's note that Healy's organs were "soaked in alcohol" and useless in determining a cause of death.[1]
Following the autopsy, the Los Angeles county coroner reported that Healy died of acute toxic nephritis secondary to acute and chronic alcoholism. Police closed their investigation, as there was no indication in the report that his death was caused by physical assault.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 Braund, Simon (June 2010). "The Tragic And Twisted Tale Of The Three Stooges". Empire Magazine. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ↑ "Who killed the Ice Cream Blonde?". Santa Monica Daily Press. May 19, 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ↑ Vanderbilt, Gloria (2004). ""The Great Thing" (4)". It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir. Rockefeller Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020: Simon & Schuster. p. 31. ISBN 0-7432-6480-0.
- ↑ Last of the big spenders. Telegraph UK 11/23/2004
- ↑ Vanderbilt, Gloria. ""Happy Birthday" (6)". It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. p. 36. ISBN 0-7432-6480-0.
- ↑ Fleming, E.J. (2004). The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling, and the MGM Publicity Machine. McFarland. pp. 174–177. ISBN 978-0-7864-2027-8.
- ↑ staff (December 23, 1937). "Wealthy Sportsman Confesses Fight with Ted Healy". The Oxnard Daily Courier. p. 1. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ↑ Cassara, Bill (2014). Nobody's Stooge: Ted Healy. BearManor Media. ISBN 1593937687.
- 1 2 "Ted Healy Died of Toxic Nephritis". Lewiston Evening Journal. December 23, 1937. p. 8. Retrieved May 15, 2013.