Vic Greco(1927-2016)
- Actor
Posthumos: Throughout the 1960s to 1980s Vic Greco (aka Gus Mocerino) was a popular television and nightclub writer and entertainer in New York City and Hollywood. A comedian's comedian, Greco was favorite of Steve Allen, Merv Griffin and Jackie Leonard among other prominent comedians of the era.
Greco enjoyed wide success playing the nightclub circuit across the country in many of the legendary venues such as The Hungry I and The Purple Onion in San Francisco, Mister Kelly's in Chicago and The Ice House in Pasedena who billed him as "....a scrappy comic featuring his rubber stamp routines." He was described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "....a short, malevolent, and rather like a demoniacal, cigar-smoking file clerk who just blew up the bank...." and was also repeatedly well reviewed by the Chicago Daily News saying "....Greco, a Groucho Marx character, replete with cigar, evokes strong reactions from the audience. He's a delight." He also appeared as a recurring character on The Mike Douglas Show and as a comedian on Alan Hamel's Comedy Bag (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Greco started out in the comedy team of Vic Greco and Fred Willard in the famous 1960's "beat" nightclubs such as Village Vanguard, The Bitter End and Cafe Wah in Greenwich Village, NY. The duo quickly gained attention with their original comedy skits, physical comedy routines, "flawless timing, wild and utterly outrageous sequences" (San Francisco Chronicle), "dry humor and devastatingly deadpan approach" (CUE). With Variety billing them as "A real firecracker" and The Hollywood Reporter predicting their non-stop success, Greco and Willard also appeared in the popular Playboy Clubs across the country and were soon making numerous television appearances including The Smother's Brothers Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Johnny Carson Show, The Merv Griffin Show, Get Smart and others.
During the last 30 years of his life, Greco, returning to his birth name, Gus Mocerino, continued writing comedy articles and other published works including "Got a Minute?" and other periodical columns for various newspapers including The Philadelphia Inquirer, Palm Beach Post (FL), Delaware County Daily Times (PA) and News of Delaware County (PA). A passionate pianist as well, Mocerino wrote many original songs, received two Make Music Alabama Song Writing Awards (2010 and 2011), and extensively performed his "Music and Comedy of Gus Mocerino" show at numerous Senior Living Communities throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Additionally, Mocerino taught public speaking at American Broadcasting School in Philadelphia and conducted "Speaking with Humor" seminars through his own Delgus Productions. He directed numerous plays in colleges and trade schools where he also taught math, drafting and shop trades including Newark Technical College in New Jersey, Delaware County Community College in Media, PA and Delaware Valley Trade School in Chester, PA.
Mocerino died at home in Havertown, PA on June 21, 2016. He is survived by his wife of Adele (Greco) Mocerino, daughters Lisa Grecco and Christine Harrington, and two grand-daughters, Brigid Harrington and Shannon Harrington.
Greco enjoyed wide success playing the nightclub circuit across the country in many of the legendary venues such as The Hungry I and The Purple Onion in San Francisco, Mister Kelly's in Chicago and The Ice House in Pasedena who billed him as "....a scrappy comic featuring his rubber stamp routines." He was described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "....a short, malevolent, and rather like a demoniacal, cigar-smoking file clerk who just blew up the bank...." and was also repeatedly well reviewed by the Chicago Daily News saying "....Greco, a Groucho Marx character, replete with cigar, evokes strong reactions from the audience. He's a delight." He also appeared as a recurring character on The Mike Douglas Show and as a comedian on Alan Hamel's Comedy Bag (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).
Greco started out in the comedy team of Vic Greco and Fred Willard in the famous 1960's "beat" nightclubs such as Village Vanguard, The Bitter End and Cafe Wah in Greenwich Village, NY. The duo quickly gained attention with their original comedy skits, physical comedy routines, "flawless timing, wild and utterly outrageous sequences" (San Francisco Chronicle), "dry humor and devastatingly deadpan approach" (CUE). With Variety billing them as "A real firecracker" and The Hollywood Reporter predicting their non-stop success, Greco and Willard also appeared in the popular Playboy Clubs across the country and were soon making numerous television appearances including The Smother's Brothers Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Johnny Carson Show, The Merv Griffin Show, Get Smart and others.
During the last 30 years of his life, Greco, returning to his birth name, Gus Mocerino, continued writing comedy articles and other published works including "Got a Minute?" and other periodical columns for various newspapers including The Philadelphia Inquirer, Palm Beach Post (FL), Delaware County Daily Times (PA) and News of Delaware County (PA). A passionate pianist as well, Mocerino wrote many original songs, received two Make Music Alabama Song Writing Awards (2010 and 2011), and extensively performed his "Music and Comedy of Gus Mocerino" show at numerous Senior Living Communities throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Additionally, Mocerino taught public speaking at American Broadcasting School in Philadelphia and conducted "Speaking with Humor" seminars through his own Delgus Productions. He directed numerous plays in colleges and trade schools where he also taught math, drafting and shop trades including Newark Technical College in New Jersey, Delaware County Community College in Media, PA and Delaware Valley Trade School in Chester, PA.
Mocerino died at home in Havertown, PA on June 21, 2016. He is survived by his wife of Adele (Greco) Mocerino, daughters Lisa Grecco and Christine Harrington, and two grand-daughters, Brigid Harrington and Shannon Harrington.
