Twelve Years

August 20 marked the anniversary of the death of my father.

Don Martello was a speech & drama teacher at Maine South High School in Park Ridge, IL for 25 years. Prior to that he taught college students in Hamilton, Ohio. He was also a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and fought in the Korean War, "The Forgotten War" as he would sometimes call it.

Among other things he was an avid reader, a lover of cigars and pipes, a guy who really liked a good bourbon, a huge fan of Thomas Jefferson and William Shakespeare, and a very funny man. He was a loving husband, a fine theatrical director, and most importantly, he was a good father to me, my two brothers, and my sister.

You may recall that I wrote two pieces about dad, prominently featured in the Father's Day Trilogy at Malicious Bitch & The Cheers. Here's an additional story about dad that may answer a few questions about me.

Both my parents played an integral part in my choice to become a professional comedian and entertainer. However I can recall one specific event involving my dad that was particularly important in forming my appreciation for humor and comedy, if not helping mold my own sense of humor.

A long time back, probably when I was about eight or nine - maybe even ten years old, our local PBS station was airing old tapes of various Ernie Kovacs programs late Sunday nights. Ernie was light years ahead of his time comedically and technologically with regard to television. The word "genius" gets bandied about far too often when discussing influential performers and comedians. In the case of Ernie Kovacs, the word is all too appropriate.

One routine that Ernie Kovacs was remembered for was the Nairobi Trio, a brief sketch that can only be seen to be appreciated. ANY explanation of what went into the sketch sucks all the humor out of the routine and certainly confounds & confuses the listener. It confuses him so much so that seeing the sketch after hearing an explanation causes the viewer to think you are nothing less than an idiot for finding it funny at all. If you actually see the sketch without any sort of warning about content, theme, & concept, more often than not you find it to be oddly fascinating (if not truly inspired genius) and it can range from "funny" to "HYSTERICAL".

The Nairobi Trio was one of dad's favorite sketches and it was, thankfully, preserved on tape and rebroadcast on our TV sets.

Being that it was late Sunday night and I had to be in school the next morning, it would follow that I was fast asleep in my bedroom at the time dad was watching and reminiscing with Ernie Kovacs on the screen. When he knew the Nairobi Trio was going to be on he came into my room and woke me up, explaining, "there's something important you have to see".

With sleepy eyes I came out to see what could possibly be so important that a career school teacher would wake up his son on a school night. Dad gave a brief explanation about who Kovacs was and told me to watch the Nairobi Trio carefully. I was mesmerizes by this odd little sketch and I laughed my fool head off. Once the segment was over, I was told, "Get back to bed! It's a school night. We'll talk about Ernie Kovacs tomorrow."

Indeed we did have a talk about Ernie Kovacs the next day and dad was kind enough to start taping the shows for me to watch. He woke me up because he knew I had a need to know what is funny and how to find funny in the strangest places. He wanted me to appreciate real comic inspiration and felt that if I could watch the Nairobi Trio and "get it" there would be some hope I could one day find ways to make my own kinds of funny and move on from "smart-assed" brat to "genuinely funny person".

There are many lessons I learned from my parents and specifically from my dad. As with all great truths and lessons, there are times when the poignancy and importance of the wisdom is not truly understood nor appreciated until years later. I call it time-released intelligence. As I have grown as a performer and a comedian over the years I have come to realize just how significantly and profoundly that sleepy Sunday evening and that few minutes of oddity known as the Nairobi Trio affected my life. It may not seem like much to some, but to me it is as important as anything I have ever learned, including the more traditional and conventional lessons parents are expected to teach, but usually don't.

Over the years our family has tried to honor dad in a variety of ways.

At the site where he is buried we placed some of his more memorable taglines and phrases on his headstone. We even placed a bench by his grave so folks can find a calm and quiet place to sit at the cemetery, something that is often sorely missing. When you arrive at dad's grave you see words like "Illegitimus Non Carborundum Est", which is Latin for "Don't let the bastard grind you down." You also get a bit of a laugh when you read dad's standard joke when he was around many people, "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here today." Even if you didn't know dad you could feel relaxed and entertained in a place where entertainment is generally not found.

Years ago, I co-wrote a book for cigar smokers called the Don Martello Cigar Smoker's Journal. It was a family effort with everyone contributing to it's creation and production. This was an informative and entertaining cigar accessory designed to enhance the enjoyment of the gentleman's last true luxury, the cigar. We sold this book at stores across the country and imparted a bit of dad's wisdom to total strangers as they lit up their stogies.

Most significantly we created the Don Martello Memorial Scholarship, a scholarship for members of the Thespian Society. This was set up originally at Maine South High School and is now helping students at Maine West in Des Plaines, IL (another story for another time).

The scholarship, a meager but helpful $500.00, is awarded to the student that truly benefited from his or her experience in the theatre and performing arts programs at their school. It is not an academic scholarship and grades are not a factor at all. We don't even care if the recipient has plans to attend a college or other schooling. Dad never felt that you had to be a genius to get something valuable out of time spent within the arts and we are happy to pass that sentiment on.

The family picks the recipient out of the applicants and we look for someone who went through the theatre program and truly "got it". Past recipients have used the cash to start their own business, attend culinary school, and buy large quantities of beer. All have been grateful examples of what time well spent in the arts can bring to the world.

After my anniversary trip I was able to head to Darrtown, Ohio and visit my dad, something I haven't been able to do in almost 10 years. I miss the old fart now more than ever.

He never got to meet April and this was the best we could do. Without my knowing, she brought some of our wedding photos to leave at his site and I was brought to tears at her thoughtfulness. I also left him a fine cigar and hoped that somewhere down the road we'd meet again. In any event I know that I'll never stop learning things from my dad.

I rarely solicit anything other than "mojo" from anyone around this blog and I apologize for making mention of this here. We rely on the interest from the scholarship account and the generous donations from alumni and others to keep the thing going for as long as possible. We invite Maine South alumni, former students of Don Martello, patrons of the arts, and anyone willing to help out some good kids to donate & keep the scholarship alive and well.

If you would like to make a donation to the Don Martello Memorial Scholarship, you may e-mail me for details or you can send a check or money order to...

The Don Martello Memorial Scholarship
C/O Wyn Martello
501Mitchell St., Sawyer Village
Gwinn, MI 49841
906-346-6245

In the event you don't want to or simply can't donate a few bucks to the scholarship, let me say that I completely understand and neither I nor will my family make any sort of judgments against you. Money is tight everywhere and gas is about to hit $17.32 a gallon so don't feel compelled to help out. However, I should point out that if you were one of dad's students and you loved the guy even HALF as much as you all said you did, it sure would be a great way to say thanks to the old man. Still, if you can't help out...no problem. Dad just wanted us to pass on a little message to you. ;)