Sammy Petrillo(1934-2009)
- Actor
- Producer
Sam Patrello was an American nightclub and movie comedian best known as a Jerry Lewis imitator. Born in The Bronx to a show-business family, he began working on stage by the age of six.
Petrillo went on to perform comedy on The Colgate Comedy Hour, NBC's Four Star Revue, Texaco Star Theater, ABC's Stop the Music; and several local New York City quiz shows and variety shows.
Petrillo relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he eventually teamed with singer Duke Mitchell for a successful nightclub act approximating the popular Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis team. In addition to impersonating Martin & Lewis, Petrillo mimicked other film stars and cartoon characters, and Mitchell would sing in the styles of Frankie Laine, Vaughn Monroe, and Billy Daniels, among others. For the climax of the show, they would announce to the audience that they would now do their impression of Martin and Lewis - followed by Petrillo playing Martin and Mitchell playing Lewis, inverting expectations.
In 1952, Mitchell and Petrillo starred opposite aged screen legend Bela Lugosi and the latest incarnation of the Tarzan film-series chimpanzee Cheeta in a low-budget, jungle-themed comedy, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (also known as The Boys From Brooklyn).
By 1991, Petrillo was living in Pittsburgh, where he ran a family-oriented comedy club, The Nut House. Petrillo, who remained active performing standup comedy, mentored young comics including Richard Pryor and Dennis Miller, the latter a native of Petrillo's adopted home, Pittsburgh. On August 15, 2009, Petrillo died of colon cancer at age 74.
Petrillo relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he eventually teamed with singer Duke Mitchell for a successful nightclub act approximating the popular Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis team. In addition to impersonating Martin & Lewis, Petrillo mimicked other film stars and cartoon characters, and Mitchell would sing in the styles of Frankie Laine, Vaughn Monroe, and Billy Daniels, among others. For the climax of the show, they would announce to the audience that they would now do their impression of Martin and Lewis - followed by Petrillo playing Martin and Mitchell playing Lewis, inverting expectations.
In 1952, Mitchell and Petrillo starred opposite aged screen legend Bela Lugosi and the latest incarnation of the Tarzan film-series chimpanzee Cheeta in a low-budget, jungle-themed comedy, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (also known as The Boys From Brooklyn).
By 1991, Petrillo was living in Pittsburgh, where he ran a family-oriented comedy club, The Nut House. Petrillo, who remained active performing standup comedy, mentored young comics including Richard Pryor and Dennis Miller, the latter a native of Petrillo's adopted home, Pittsburgh. On August 15, 2009, Petrillo died of colon cancer at age 74.
