“Close Kin Of Stars Find Life Can Be Tough Row to Hoe”
Toledo Blade – Jun. 2, 1963
By: Cindy Adams
[This came from a larger article about the siblings of celebrities. Only portions pertaining to Danny Kaye have been included here.]
In New York, Max Kamin (nee Kaminsky), is known as the owner of the Shell Electric Supply Co., which illuminated, among other hovels, Jackie Gleason’s home and Manhattan’s Playboy Club. In Brooklyn, he’s known as the borough’s most philanthropic resident: Honorary chairman of the East New York Boys Club, Asthma Research Institute’s eighth annual humanitarian award winner and on and on. In California, he’s known as Danny Kaye’s brother.
Said Max one afternoon at his shop, “Pop lived with Danny and Danny took care of Pop all his life. He’s a good brother. I call him once in awhile. Once in awhile he calls. If I’m there I visit his house. If he’s here we have lunch . . . on me!
“Larry, my other brother who’s my partner, and I have no ventures with Danny, but he was helpful when we needed it. He gave us a credit guarantee to the bank 16 years ago when I started this business.
“Once, at a charity of mine, Danny told of the one and only afternoon he, too, was an electrician.” Seems during those days when Max was a plain workingman, Danny had plenty of time to just hang around and be helpful. This particular day, he crawled between a ceiling and roof to wire some installation Maxie couldn’t reach. Skinny Danny snaked in where union electricians feared to tread. He wiggled under rafters, between beams and as the connection was made he slipped . . . and down came Danny . . . ceiling and all.