Thursday, June 25, 2015

Using Chalk! #1


7 comments:

Roger Smith said...

"Clyde Bros.," I advised people, "is not to be confused with Clyde Beatty." Although, to me, it was intended to be.

Buckles said...

Gina is Cucciloa's sister.

Chic Silber said...


I belive her original name was

Gabriella but went by Antonetta

as in "Netta" Dubsky & MacMahon

She came over with Alberto Zoppe

& his riding troupe from Italy

She was Hashi's mom & died in 2012

3 years before her son

Chic Silber said...


Clyde Bros was owned & operated

by Howard Suesz through the 50s

& 60s & became Carden & Johnson

in the 70s

Harry Kingston said...

Clyde Bros Circus played my town for out local shrine club and always put on a very good performance.
Rex Willams, Barrada cat act, Lucky Larabee ringmaster etc.
I got to meet Suez and being a young fan had no idea he had Hagen Bros also.
Harry in Texas

Roger Smith said...

In '75, Andre Skarbecki called me to take over the Clyde Bros. tigers and elephants. There was an urgency to his call. His girlfriend had been critically injured in an auto accident in Ft. Myers, and he needed to leave. I joined out on June 20, in Kearney, Nebraska. Andre showed me the routines for 2 days, and departed. Back in Seagoville that winter, word came that Suesz was selling out to Carden & Johnson for $30,000. The figure came from Tommy Inabinette, who very well may have been correct.

Roger Smith said...

Although I rarely claim it, Hagen Bros. was technically my first circus to get paid on. I helped Enoch Brafford set up the Big Top. Talk about a rag-bag. It was a push-pole top and a thoroughly miserable affair. Brafford doubled as paymaster, and once loaded out that night, he handed me 4 quarters. As a canvasman, I opened and closed in one.