Thursday, May 28, 2020

CRISTIANI #3


11 comments:

Chic Silber said...


The good ol "Up & Over"

A real crowd pleaser

Aside from being a great

comedic rider Lucio was a

really nice fellow also

Chic Silber said...


When Lucio assembled a riding troupe

for the Beatty Show in the mid 60s

they were billed as "The Franconis"

A name from the earliest days of

circus riding acts in the UK

Chic Silber said...


Aside from honoring history

there were some tax issues

Chic Silber said...


Notice his landing pad

Roger Smith said...

I have great fond memories of knowing Lucio on the '64 Beatty show. I wrote of him for the late CIRCUS REPORT when he passed. I already knew he was among the truly towering legends of
circus stars, and was grateful to observe that he never snubbed a workingman. I babysat his two young sons, guarding them sitting on the Beatty cat tunnel, while their mother Gena was performing her principal turn. She was stunningly beautiful, for me outshining even Gina Lollobrigida. Oh, my God, the memories.

Chic Silber said...


The boys mother Roger was

Lucio's 2nd wife Gylda

(yup absolutely gorgeous)

Roger Smith said...

GYLDA. Heaven knows, I admired her more than I should have, and didn't spell her name right.

Which summons the story I got from a rather misguided female performer who wanted to move up. She made eyes at Lucio, offering him her charms if given special preference over Gylda. Lucio, ever the gentleman, quietly ended the moment, saying "It isn't possible. Where ever would I get another woman as beautiful as my Gylda?"

Chic Silber said...


I believe she was of Brazilian heritage

Charles Hanson said...

Wasn't Gylda from the Zamperla Family?

Roger Smith said...

I believe this site posted photos of her uncaged leopards act. Even if on in years, she was totally First Class.

Charles Hanson said...

If memory serves me correctly, I believe she is a sister to Napoleon Zamperla.