Ivan and Makimba
Posted By thecircusblog on May 21, 2009
Little Makimba saved the act when he took Bongi’s place after Bongie’s death in Las Vegas, Nev. In 1970 I lost Bongie, my hand balancing and lead comedy chimp to a stupid and selfish person that unplugged the electricity from my chimp truck and used it for their own. We had just arrived in Vegas and we pulled into the Desert Rose Trailer Park where most performers stayed. It was mid summer and very hot. I put on all of the air conditioning for the trailer and the chimp truck and all was well. I had a meeting at the Sands Hotel with an agent for a gig we were to do with Red Skelton. The interview took about three hours. When I got back to the trailer park I discovered the tragic event. A friend and fellow performer Billy Stebbings ran out to my car and said they were trying to revive the chimps. Someone had pulled the the electric plug from the chimp truck and used it for there 0wn purpose. The temperature rose beyond normal it was summer in Vegas, need I say more. Billy told who ever it was that they had better leave town before I got back. Thanks to Billy and Lilly and others, they saved all my chimps but my Bongie. I still hurt to this day.
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