Guy Marks

Guy Marks was an American actor, comedian, singer and impressionist. A familiar face on TV sitcoms and variety shows of the 1960s and 1970s, he appeared regularly on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Mike Douglas Show and The Joey Bishop Show. He had a natural gift for mimicry, and his impressions of celebrities such as Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Boris Karloff and many others were considered among the best. But he also could imitate a housefly on a slippery oil cloth, or neon signs, alligators, driftwood furniture, rubber bands, frozen chickens, frogs, praying mantis and his favorite, that of an ostrich. All of which often found their way into his act or in characters he played on TV.

He was born Mario Scarpa in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest ofchildren born to Ermelindo and Adelina Scarpa, who had immigrated from Italy to America at the beginning of the 20th Century. Ermelindo was a clarinetist with the RCA recording orchestra under the direction of Josef Pasternack, and went on to name all of his children after the characters in Operas. Mario was named after the hero in La Tosca, an opera his mother admired while she was carrying him. Other siblings included Victoria, Yolanda, Geoconda, Mafalda, Alba, Melba, Thenistocles , and Aristides. Two additional older brothers died at agesanddue to scarlet fever. In school he spent most of his time imitating his teachers and frustrating the principal. Marks enlisted in the US Army on December 12, 1940, and after serving two years, signed up for a six year stint in the Merchant Marines. He sailed around the world including Rio and Hong Kong. When he came back to the US he did various odd jobs

Source: Wikipedia