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Chico Marx
Leonard "Chico" Marx (/ˈtʃɪkoʊ/ CHEEK-oh[citation needed]; March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was an American comedian, actor, and pianist. He was the oldest brother in the Marx Brothers comedy troupe, alongside his brothers Arthur ("Harpo"), Julius ("Groucho"), Milton ("Gummo"), and Herbert ("Zeppo"). His persona in the act was that of a charming, uneducated but crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat. On screen, Chico is often in alliance with Harpo, usually as partners in crime, and is also frequently seen trying to con or outfox Groucho.
Leonard was the oldest of the Marx Brothers to live past early childhood, the first-born being Manfred Marx who died in infancy. In addition to his work as a performer, he played an important role in the management and development of the act in its early years.
Marx was born in Manhattan, New York City, on March 22, 1887. His mother Miene ("Minnie") Marx (née Schoenberg) was from Dornum in East Frisia. Around 1880, the family emigrated to New York City. His father, Samuel ("Sam" or "Frenchy"; born Simon) Marx, was a native of Mertzwiller, a small Alsatian village, and worked as a tailor. Minnie and Sam married on January 18, 1885. Their first child, Manfred, died of tuberculosis; Leonard was their second, and was followed in turn by Arthur, Julius, Milton, and Herbert.
Minnie came from a family of performers. Her mother was a yodeling harpist and her father a ventriloquist; both were funfair entertainers. Her brother was vaudeville comedian Al Shean, best known as one half of Gallagher and Shean. Harboring similar ambitions for Leonard - and in an attempt to keep him out of trouble - she purchased a secondhand upright piano and provided lessons for him.
By the age of nine, Leonard was a gambler, and by the age of eleven, he would stay out all night hustling pool. He lost his first job, in 1899, for playing craps on premises, and, in other jobs, would routinely gamble his money away on payday. In his mid-teens, with pressure from his parents to stop gambling, he left home, supporting himself by playing piano in nickelodeons and whorehouses. He also briefly toured with a circus as a wrestler, and later, a flyweight boxer.
By 1907, Chico was working at music publishing firm Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.. When the founder of that company, Maurice Shapiro, died in 1911, Chico quit immediately, convincing a young tenor, Aaron Gordon, to tour with him in vaudeville. At the time, there was a successful vaudeville act called The Two Funny Germans, starring Bill Gordon and Nick Marx; with Minnie's encouragement, Aaron Gordon and Chico Marx adopted Italian accents (Chico's reputedly based on that of his barber) and toured as Marx and Gordon. Gordon, who later said that he never saw a salary because Chico gambled away their earnings, left the act in the fall of that year.
Chico then briefly paired with his cousin Lou Shean. Marx soon found himself in trouble for picking up a 19 year old Indiana woman who was engaged to be married, and bringing her to Wisconsin with him, where they registered in a hotel as man and wife - a possible violation of the Mann Act. Although Chico escaped prosecution, Shean was frustrated by the experience. When Chico was later caught with a woman who was involved with a local theater manager, the manager fined the act and fired them; Chico tried to claim the fine was a business expense, and Shean quit.
Meanwhile, Chico's brothers Groucho, Harpo, and Gummo were touring in a production they called Fun in High School. Chico, who was touring with a new partner, contacted Minnie to suggest that they turn the act into a tabloid musical. Sources differ on what happened next. One story states that, without telling the other brothers, Minnie arranged for Chico to be at their performance in Waukegan, Illinois. As the act opened, Groucho and Harpo noticed that their brother was in the orchestra pit, playing the piano. Harpo threw an apple at Chico, who caught it and threw it at Groucho. As the brothers continued to throw fruit at each other, the audience yelled and clapped for more. Known dates for their Waukegan shows do not match up with those of Chico joining the act; the first verified appearance of them together was when Chico and his brothers shared a bill in August 1912.
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Chico Marx
Leonard "Chico" Marx (/ˈtʃɪkoʊ/ CHEEK-oh[citation needed]; March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was an American comedian, actor, and pianist. He was the oldest brother in the Marx Brothers comedy troupe, alongside his brothers Arthur ("Harpo"), Julius ("Groucho"), Milton ("Gummo"), and Herbert ("Zeppo"). His persona in the act was that of a charming, uneducated but crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat. On screen, Chico is often in alliance with Harpo, usually as partners in crime, and is also frequently seen trying to con or outfox Groucho.
Leonard was the oldest of the Marx Brothers to live past early childhood, the first-born being Manfred Marx who died in infancy. In addition to his work as a performer, he played an important role in the management and development of the act in its early years.
Marx was born in Manhattan, New York City, on March 22, 1887. His mother Miene ("Minnie") Marx (née Schoenberg) was from Dornum in East Frisia. Around 1880, the family emigrated to New York City. His father, Samuel ("Sam" or "Frenchy"; born Simon) Marx, was a native of Mertzwiller, a small Alsatian village, and worked as a tailor. Minnie and Sam married on January 18, 1885. Their first child, Manfred, died of tuberculosis; Leonard was their second, and was followed in turn by Arthur, Julius, Milton, and Herbert.
Minnie came from a family of performers. Her mother was a yodeling harpist and her father a ventriloquist; both were funfair entertainers. Her brother was vaudeville comedian Al Shean, best known as one half of Gallagher and Shean. Harboring similar ambitions for Leonard - and in an attempt to keep him out of trouble - she purchased a secondhand upright piano and provided lessons for him.
By the age of nine, Leonard was a gambler, and by the age of eleven, he would stay out all night hustling pool. He lost his first job, in 1899, for playing craps on premises, and, in other jobs, would routinely gamble his money away on payday. In his mid-teens, with pressure from his parents to stop gambling, he left home, supporting himself by playing piano in nickelodeons and whorehouses. He also briefly toured with a circus as a wrestler, and later, a flyweight boxer.
By 1907, Chico was working at music publishing firm Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.. When the founder of that company, Maurice Shapiro, died in 1911, Chico quit immediately, convincing a young tenor, Aaron Gordon, to tour with him in vaudeville. At the time, there was a successful vaudeville act called The Two Funny Germans, starring Bill Gordon and Nick Marx; with Minnie's encouragement, Aaron Gordon and Chico Marx adopted Italian accents (Chico's reputedly based on that of his barber) and toured as Marx and Gordon. Gordon, who later said that he never saw a salary because Chico gambled away their earnings, left the act in the fall of that year.
Chico then briefly paired with his cousin Lou Shean. Marx soon found himself in trouble for picking up a 19 year old Indiana woman who was engaged to be married, and bringing her to Wisconsin with him, where they registered in a hotel as man and wife - a possible violation of the Mann Act. Although Chico escaped prosecution, Shean was frustrated by the experience. When Chico was later caught with a woman who was involved with a local theater manager, the manager fined the act and fired them; Chico tried to claim the fine was a business expense, and Shean quit.
Meanwhile, Chico's brothers Groucho, Harpo, and Gummo were touring in a production they called Fun in High School. Chico, who was touring with a new partner, contacted Minnie to suggest that they turn the act into a tabloid musical. Sources differ on what happened next. One story states that, without telling the other brothers, Minnie arranged for Chico to be at their performance in Waukegan, Illinois. As the act opened, Groucho and Harpo noticed that their brother was in the orchestra pit, playing the piano. Harpo threw an apple at Chico, who caught it and threw it at Groucho. As the brothers continued to throw fruit at each other, the audience yelled and clapped for more. Known dates for their Waukegan shows do not match up with those of Chico joining the act; the first verified appearance of them together was when Chico and his brothers shared a bill in August 1912.
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