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Shecky Greene, the legendary figure synonymous with stand-up comedy, has passed away at the age of 97. His death occurred at 3:21 a.m. on Sunday at his Las Vegas home due to natural causes, as confirmed by his wife of 41 years, Marie Musso Green. Greene is survived by his two adopted daughters, Dorian Hoffman (Charlie Hoffman) of Boise, Idaho, and Alison Greene of Vancouver, Washington, along with his sisters-in-law JoAnn Musso Sperry and Linda Galasso, nephew Michael Sperry, and nieces Angel Galasso Hooper and Gina Dadian.
Preceding him in death were his first wife and mother of his children, Jeri Greene, and brothers Marvin Greenfield and Paul Greenfield. Greene was also previously married to Polynesian dancer Nalani Kele from 1972 to 1982. Marie Green has stated that there will be no celebration of life for Greene, in accordance with the family's wishes. Instead of flowers, the family suggests making donations to St. Jude's Children's Ranch of Las Vegas.
Reflecting on spending over four decades with Shecky Greene, Marie Greene remarked on the humor that defined their time together. "It was funny. He always made humor out of anything that he might. He made you laugh, and it was a happy time."
Having been a resident of Las Vegas since the 1950s, Greene's final performances were at the South Point Showroom in 2011. Despite this, he remained a near-mythic figure in the city, occasionally appearing at the Italian American Club and elderly breakfasts at the Omelet House, where he would often deliver a shortened version of his act for the dignitaries present.
Greene was set to be inducted into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame on April 2 at Fontainebleau's BleauLive Theater. University representatives have expressed their intention to posthumously honor Greene. Notably, he had a longstanding friendship with Fontainebleau founder Don Soffer and his family. One of Greene's legendary stories involved Frank Sinatra "saving" him from a group of assailants at the Fontainebleau, a tale he shared with Johnny Carson.
Describing his relationship with Sinatra, Greene characterized it as a "love/hate" dynamic. "He loved me, and we hated each other. I didn't love him. I far from loved him. But I [swearword] respected him for what he was," Greene once stated.
A dominant presence both on and off stage, Greene headlined in Las Vegas for nearly six decades, starting at the New Frontier opening for novelty singer Dorothy Shay in 1954. At that venue, a young Elvis Presley appeared alongside Greene and the Freddie Martin Orchestra from April 23 to May 6, 1956, marking a shift in the entertainment landscape of the city. Reflecting on that time, Greene noted the transformation from a country and western focus to a more sophisticated and dressy audience.
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