Joe De Santis

Joseph Vito Marcello De Santis was born on June 15, 1909, in New York City, to Italian immigrant parents. His father, Pasquale De Santis, was a tailor who had emigrated from San Pietro Apostolo in Catanzaro, Italy, while his mother, Maria Paoli, came from Lucca in Tuscany and worked in a paper flower factory. De Santis studied sculpture and drama at New York University, financing his education through work, and his earliest performances were conducted in Italian. He died on August 30, 1989, at the age of 80, from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

De Santis launched his broadcasting career in 1931 on an Italian-language radio station and went on to become a prominent presence in old-time radio. He was heard on programs including Pepper Young's Family, Mr. District Attorney, The March of Time, Gang Busters, and The Kate Smith Show, and he also contributed numerous Italian-language broadcasts during this period. Among his most significant radio work was his narration of Norman Corwin's On a Note of Triumph, which aired nationally at the end of World War II. When professional acting work grew scarce during the 1930s, he served as an instructor with the Works Progress Administration. On May 17, 1985, he was inducted into the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters Diamond Circle, and he contributed to "Remember Radio," a column in one of the trade publications.

His Broadway career spanned nearly five decades, from 1932 to 1980. His stage credits included The Front Page, In Any Language, Daughter of Silence, The Highest Tree, and The Searching Wind, among other productions. With the rise of television, De Santis established himself as a versatile character actor capable of portraying dialect characters, mugs, suave heavies, and emotional leads. He appeared in early television series such as Playhouse 90 and Studio One, and was a regular presence on programs hosted by Red Buttons, Martha Raye, and Sid Caesar. He also appeared in Sheriff of Cochise and had recurring roles in The Untouchables, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Mission: Impossible, and westerns including Sugarfoot, Daniel Boone, Gunsmoke, Sara, and Bonanza. His three appearances on Perry Mason included playing murder victim George Castle in the 1958 episode "The Case of the Long-Legged Models," murder victim Melvin Slater in the 1959 episode "The Case of the Borrowed Brunette," and Louie Parker in the 1965 episode "The Case of the Deadly Debt."

De Santis appeared in numerous films, with his role in the 1962 production A Cold Wind in August representing a high point of his screen career. He was also featured in I Want to Live! and The Brotherhood. His name appears in the liner notes of Frank Zappa's debut album Freak Out!, a connection traced to his acquaintance with sculptor and dancer Vito Paulekas, whose Los Angeles studio De Santis and other figures from the entertainment world frequented for sculpting. De Santis was a member of the Players' Club in New York City and the Masquers' Club in Los Angeles.

De Santis was married three times. In 1935, he wed actress Miriam Moss; they had one son, David, before divorcing. In 1949, he married actress Margaret Draper, whom he had met while both were performing on Pepper Young's Family. They had one son, Christopher, and divorced in 1956, after which De Santis relocated to California to concentrate on his television and film work. In 1959, he married Wanda Slye, who preceded him in death in 1977.