Irma and Rio
Posted By thecircusblog on October 4, 2009
These two good looking performers were Olgie and Irma Zavatta………… now their story. Olgie Zavatta came to this country from Italy in 1936 with one of the finest riding acts ever to be presented in this country. They were known as the Zavatta Zoppe family. They preformed the riding act and unsupported ladders on the Cole Bros Circus. There was a tent fire in 1940 at the winter quarters located in Rochester, Indiana. The fire destroyed the circus and killed many animals. The performers on the show were devastated by this tragedy and no one knew what to do. Shorty there after the Clyde Beatty Circus salvaged what remained of Cole Bros and became the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. The Zavatta Zoppe family continued preforming on the show for a while and later broke apart each of the two families going succesfully their own way. Irma, Olgie’s wife, came form Germany in 1939 with a troupe called the Bicycling Sidney’s that preformed on the Ringling circus. Some time in the mid 1940’s, Oglie and Irma met on the Ben Davenport show. They were married and raised two boys Monte and Gino Zavatta. Both live in Arizona and are successful. Monte owns his own business of South West Arts Crafts and Geno is president of the Stage Hands Union Local 336, Phoenix, AZ
A very informative comment made by Tom Finley.
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thecircusblog
My name is Ivan M. Henry and I am the 4th generation of a circus/show business dynasty. I hope you enjoy the blog.Comments
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The second son was named Gino and Geno.
I was researching another Cole Bros. employee(Clinton Partello, brother of circus physician Dr. E. Partello) ) when I found a marriage record for Clinton and “Erma” Aurellia Zavatta on 27 June 1938 in Concord, Merrimack CO,NH. Her parents’ name listed were Almando Zavatta and Belle Gilda. She is also listed on trans-Atlantic, ships’ passenger lists in the late 1930’s. Was the marriage record info given accurate, or was she possibly divorced and remarried to Olgie? No record of a divorce yet from Clinton, but by 1940 he was living with his brother, Dr. Partello in St. Petersburg,FL.