TANGI PUBLISHING

WANTED: Memories of Mike!

Share your memories...help me find more...

A special THANKS to everyone who has emailed or talked with me, over the past few years, about my dad, Mike Tangi. Your rich stories and recollections of Mike are helping me tell a fascinating story about my dad and the era he lived and worked in. 

As I continue to write and research my dad's life as a TV pioneer, advertising maven and choice for happiness, I realize there's more to discover, uncover, corroborate and elaborate upon. And, I can't do it alone. So, I'm asking for more help by jogging your memory, beyond the website, with specifics about the context in which you may have encountered Mike Tangi and have a tale to tell and folklore for me to explore.

Below is a snapshot of people, places and events that may trigger a "Memory of Mike"that you'd be willing to share with me. The time frame: 1940s until his death in 1995.

You can share your stories by clicking "Share Memories" on the website and emailing them to me. If you'd prefer to talk directly with me, email your phone number and I will call you.

Thanks for your help!
Mary Lynn Tangi

The Cincinnati Years:

WCPO-TV: 1953-1963     

• Working with Mike Tangi at the station, in the studio, on the set or in the control booth.
• Working with Mike as talent and clients on the Uncle Al Show.
• Brainstorming show ideas
• Local live TV bloopers, fumbles and recoveries
• Client jingles he wrote
• Songs and scripts he wrote and character voices Mike performed for the Uncle Al Show
• Staff/Station parties and cocktail hours
• Socializing outside of work with Mike and Mary Lou

WKRC-TV on Skipper Ryle Show: mid-1960s-early-1970s

• Mike was the voice of Wilma and Willy the Worm along with other characters. He also wrote scripts and songs--memories of Glenn Ryle working with my dad wanted.

Mike Tangi Connections:

As a client with:

• TOG: Tangi, Okum & Gramalia
• Robert Acomb Advertising
• Kountz, Algier and Acomb
• The Kountz Group
• Mike Tangi Advertising

Advertising/Media Outlets:

• AAAA, Ad club
• Media reps
• Production assistance with commercials and other ad and promotion venues
• Reporters and columnists

Community Involvement--Cincinnati/No. KY:

• Zoo Food & Home Show
• Little Sisters of the Poor
• Campbell Lodge Home for Boys
• Arthritis Foundation events/telethon
• Jerry Lewis Telethon
• Radio Rap
• Stars for Charity luncheons
• Sons of Italy
• United Italian Society
• Fraternal Order of Police Associates & FOP members
• Nurse's Association--Las Vegas
• Cincinnati Politicians

Frequently-visited Restaurants/venues:

• Beverly Hills Country Club--1950s
• Beverly Hills Supper Club--1970s
• Netherland Hilton
• Dago Pat's
• F&N Steakhouse
• Precinct
• Gibson Girl Lounge/Gibson Hotel
• Lookout House
• Maisonette
• La Normandie
• Primavista
• Stone's Cafe
• Gay Nineties
• K of C Hall
• Spampy's Farm
• You get the picture...

Stamford (Connecticut) High School:

• Mike graduated in 1948: voted "most talkative and wittiest." Was active with the Italian Club and sang in the A Cappella choir.
• Yearbook quote: "Where there's life, there's Tangi."
• Stamford Advocate article called Mike Tangi the next Milton Berle, not sure if before or after Army--looking for the article.

United States Army: 1948-1951

• Stationed at Camp Gordon (now Fort Gordon), Georgia
• Special Services Division of Entertainment--Soldier Entertainer
• A song & dance man, emcee and woman impersonator touring in the Third Army's All-Soldier Road Show produced by Miss Skippy Lynn (who would go on to be the Director of World-Wide Entertainment for the Army).
• Interested in locating fellow soldier entertainers during the era.

Television Workshop of New York City: 1952-53

• Looking to confirm Workshop was part of RCA--located at 1780 Broadway, NYC.
• Interested in fellow students and instructors.

My Sister's Story

I adored our father. I think I spent most of my childhood sitting on the floor looking up at my dad and watching him tell story after story, using different voices and expressions, all to entice his audience--be it me or a room full of people. As I got older, I found a career as a hair designer/educator, that I also embraced with the same enthusiasm as my father had created with his work. Next thing I knew, I was enticing audiences with story after story, using differenct voices and expressions.

One of my greatest memories of my father is about his hair. Of course, it would be his hair because I became his personal hair stylist. In retrospect, what amazes me is that he let me cut his hair, particularly in the beginning when I wasn't all that good.

When perming for men in the 80's became popular, my father became a dark, handsome Italian with wavy hair instead of straight. He loved the idea of the Wave! Every 6 weeks he came to my salon and I permed his hair. He loved it and everyone in the salon loved it. While he was in my chair, he'd tell tales of great adventures, funny jokes and for 2 hours every 6 weeks he would not only bring joy to the salon but also to me.

Our father was a man of great passion, great faith and great love for life. Or did I just describe myself? Of course I did, because that to me is his greatest legacy--passing on to his children the art of living life to its fullest.

As my sister embarks on this journey of "discovering" our dad, I can't help but feel his presence. He would have loved the internet, loved that people were coming together and sharing their memorie and he would have especially loved the attention. He would have been so proud of my sister, talking non-stop about her skills as a writer and how she must have got that from his side of the family.

I would like to thank everyone for contributing their memories of our father. I still love a great story and hearing what others thought of him reminds me to remember his life lessons. To me he was so much more than "Patty the Plate," "Wilma the Worm," and the "Kwik Brothers."

Marci Tangi
Sister, Daughter and Hair Designer

Mike's client: Home City Ice, "Ice-a-nice"

I first met Mike when I was in high school in the early '70s. He was working with our company, Home City Ice, making commercials. Remember "Ice-a-Nice!" We were running a series of late night commercials on Bob Shreve's TV show on weekends. All those corny commercials--they had a way of sticking in your memory.

Mike had a unique style in writing commercials and jingles that proved very effective. This is a lost art today. In my opinion, he and his advertising prowess, played a huge part in building our company successes in its early years.

My memories of Mike were that of a fun-loving guy that loved to sing and dance. He would come to our Christmas parties (for Home City Ice) and would find a piano someplace and before long the whole place was singing Christmas jingles.

We would go to dinners (the Precinct was one of his favorites) and it wouldn't take long before he would have the entire bar laughing and singing to his piano ditties. When people like Bert Ammon and Dick Kunkle and the rest of the King Kwik guys got together with Mike, there was no telling what would happen. One thing was certain, it was the wee hours in the morning before it ended!

Cliff Riegler
Home City Ice

More memories from the neighbors

There are so many things I could say about Mr. Tangi. It would take hours, but no matter what there was always one constant. That smile. His smile was infectious. And, so was his personality. I was fortunate enough to grow up living next door to one (well I never saw them together) of the Kwik Brothers. I can never remember Mr. Tangi without that smile.

One of my distinct memories happened on my birthday. Although I can't remember the exact year, it was during the Carter Administration. I was having a party with some friends over. We were maybe 10-11 years old. Being a kid I used to tell my friends that I did live next to the Kwik Brothers. We had a privacy fence between the patios. He came by and poked his head around to say hello then realized we were having a kid's party. With that smile, he apologized for stopping by and of course we asked him if he wanted some cake. He smiled and said he would be right back. Some of my friends that weren't from the neighborhood couldn't believe that it was "One" of the Kwik Brothers.

Mr. Tangi came back a few minutes later with a gift. He gave me a puppet. But not just any puppet. This was shaped like a Georgia peanut,dressed and a wide presidential smile. It was a marionette. He stayed for a bit and talked to some of the kids and showed us how to work the puppet. Back at school, some of my classmates were talking about meeting the Kwik Brothers all week. How cool was that for a kid in elementary school. For someone like him, a celebrity, to take the time to stop and say hello and talk with some kids.

Darren Cordrey
Next Door Neighbor

Mr. Tangi was my next door neighbor and my best memories were at the 3rd of July block parties. When the fireworks were over and most people thought about leaving, we would wheel out the old tuneless piano and the music would start. Everyone would gather around as Mr. Tangi played and all would sing at the top of their voices. All the kids sat on and around the piano and we laughed and sang late into the night. I'm so grateful to Mr. Tangi for those memories.

Also, even though I knew Mr. Tangi, I never met his twin brother. I also can't figure out if his name was Tangi how could his brother be King Kwik? I figured it out later.

Sue Rapien Watson
The Other Next Door Neighbor

Memories from Mike's Neighbors

Mike and his family were our next door neighbors from 1966 until the year after Mary Lou's death. They were wonderful neighbors. We jokingly said they invited us to their great patio parties so we wouldn't call the cops. They had the "Whose Who" in television at their parties.

Mike was a Cub Master at St. Antoninus while his son Michael was in Scouts. He would play the piano at pack meetings, so the pack meetings were always a big show. He involved all the kids in a variety of presentations.

Many summer nights were spent sitting on the front porch with Mike and Mary Lou, chatting and relaxing. We remember sitting with them the night of the Beverly Hills fire, anxiously listening to names of victims, praying that none were familiar.

Great man. It was a privilege to have him and Mary Lou as neighbors.

Mary Lynne & Ben Rapien

My fondest memory of Mike Tangi...

As a young Videographer/Editor at Ch 64 in the late 80s, I was assigned to handle Mike's account. His vision, patience and attention to detail made it a pleasure to work with him. But that's only the surface. It didn't take long to become friends with Mike; he was like a surrogate father, a favorite uncle, an older brother I never had, all wrapped up in one kind, gentle, caring, fun-loving person. Mike made working on his commercials a fun learning environment, and his effervescent personality livened up a room just by entering it.

On one occasion, Mike explained to me how he directed the Uncle Al Show. He not only directed the show calling camera and audio cues and the like. He also was the voice for many of the characters on the show--live. Having directed live TV before myself, I can assure you this is seemingly an impossible task. Mike had two microphones, one he directed the show with, the other he could activate to perform the character voices in the show. Essentially you have two tracks of information going through your mind simultaneously.

One of the many silly things Mike would do around the studio is, when doing an on camera bit, we would ask him for a microphone chekc, and in an extremely feminine voice Mike would proclaim, "One two -- one two, I'm one are you one too?"

It sounds cliche, but Mike was Mike--you got what you saw and heard and you loved it.

Dave Hoctor, Producer/Director/Editor/Videographer