Saturday, February 16, 2013

GAME OF THE NAME - FROM SAMMY TO JESSE



Sammy Reni was a thug working for a gangster named Praisewater. But 'Mr. Lucky' made short work of him when Sammy and his brother stormed the Fortuna II in order to grab mob accountant Bugsy McKenna.



However, Sammy escaped from police custody and fled to Hockaloma, a Caribbean island that had no extradition treaty with the United States. There he changed his name to Jesse Skolnick and eventually became a tropical lush.

Years later, Jesse would be "immortalized" by photographer Felix Unger ("Portraits A Specialty") in a calypso song:


Jesse thought Felix was Harry Belafonte......

SHOWS CITED:
  • 'Mr. Lucky' - "Bugsy"
  • 'The Odd Couple' - "Felix The Calypso Singer"
Both roles were played by Jack Perkins.....

BCnU, Mon!

(This is dedicated to 'Odd Couple' enthusiast Patrick Scully....)

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