Chico Marx

Chico Marx
Chico Marx
	Chico c. 1930
Born	Leonard Marx; March 22, 1887; New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	October 11, 1961 (aged 74); Hollywood, California, U.S.
Burial place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California, U.S.
Other name	Leo Marx
Occupations	Actor; comedian; pianist;
Years active	1910–1960
Height	5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Spouses	Betty Karp (m. 1917; div. 1940); Mary De Vithas; (m. 1958);
Children	1
Parents	Sam "Frenchie" Marx (father); Minnie Schönberg (mother);
Relatives	Harpo Marx (brother); Groucho Marx (brother); Gummo Marx (brother); Zeppo Marx (brother); Al Shean (maternal uncle); Arthur Marx (nephew); Miriam Marx (niece); Melinda Marx (niece); Bill Marx (nephew);

Lobby card for *Monkey Business* (1931) with Chico (left) and Harpo (right)

Leonard "Chico" Marx (/ˈtʃɪkoʊ/ CHICK-oh; March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was an American comedian, actor, and pianist. He was the oldest brother in the Marx Brothers comedy troupe, alongside his brothers Arthur ("Harpo"), Julius ("Groucho"), Milton ("Gummo"), and Herbert ("Zeppo"). His persona in the act was that of a charming, uneducated but crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat. On screen, Chico is often in alliance with Harpo, usually as partners in crime, and is also frequently seen trying to con or outfox Groucho.

Leonard was the oldest of the Marx Brothers to live past early childhood, the first-born being Manfred Marx who died in infancy. In addition to his work as a performer, he played an important role in the management and development of the act in its early years.