Cristiani-Wallace, 16 Aug 1962 #16

Cristiani-Wallace, 16 Aug 1962-16, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. 16 – Oscar Cristiani either came on for a short time or was visiting when I caught the show for a second time that season. Seen here (l. to r.) are the late Vermont circus fan and my good friend Chuck Elwell (who was vacationing on the show and worked one of the rings) standing next to his friend Steve Fanning. Next are Oscar Cristiani and his cousin Remo. Remo had fielded the King title in 1959-60. About this time, Chuck had given me a stack of circus books and programs that he got from a deceased fan; Chuck liked to joke about what he had started with that kind gift! For a very young and new fan, it was great to see the same show in two different towns and be recognized again by some folks on the show. Whoever was the lady in the office kindly gave me a letterhead and various styles of passes, Freddie Canistrelli’s wife Ortans (Cristiani) invited me to dinner and served a heaping plate of Italian pasta, and some working guy gave me all the little carbon-typed route slips with the driving instructions to each town that he’d saved from the start of the season, each a bit oil-stained and dirty from use. He told me they were nicknamed toilet paper because they were used daily! Never heard the term used since but it was a great story when I got home with more stuff for my growing circus collection.