The “dead dad” show is a fringe comedy cliche. But the “dead dad who was also a mafioso kingpin” show? Not so much. New Jersey native Anthony DeVito long resisted addressing his murky back-story in his work. His father died when he was a baby; what Anthony knew of him was, at his mother’s request, never to be made public. Only now, prompted by a recent heart scare, has DeVito reconsidered. This is his story to tell, and – with a right of veto wielded by his mum – tell it he does, in an engaging bulletin from somewhere adjacent to the dark heart of cosa nostra America.
We’re warned up front that the story might frustrate. DeVito will be imparting details of his dad’s identity only in fragments, because that’s how he found out. And he’s right, it does frustrate a little, as our host dwells on his own scrappy schooldays – when, mysteriously, he was never allowed to watch The Godfather – then on his failed romantic relationships as he finds his feet as an adult.
