Gino Empry (? - 2006)
SEE YA LATER, GINO
by Steven Rumbelow
Most obits will talk about how he worked with Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Tony Bennet, Jack Lemon. How his office wall was a who's who of head shots of the biggest stars from every era of the last 50 years. All signed and saying great things about Gino. But Gino's true talent was the great humanity that he kept protected under that crusty agent's shell. In amongst all those head shots you'll see donations and charity work that was just the tip of the iceberg. You could sit in his office and watch him in the space of 5 minutes chew out an employee, dismissively hang up the phone on some other entertainment icon, offer sensitive support to some unknown who he felt was worth the effort. Then look up with a sparkle in his eyes and say 'Well...? What the f**k do you want?... and I'll tell you now... the answer's no' followed by a broad smile and a 'crazy bastard' which is what he's called me since standing in the wings of my production of "Moby Dick". That time he accompanied it with a sharp wrap across my head with the script for Moby. (A production which won four Jefferson Awards with it's Chicago run).
I've got two stories about Gino to tell, which also happens to be the first time and the last time we met. Our first meeting; I walked into his office waiting area back in the 80's having been pre-warned by his staff that he was in a mood. I sat there for a good 20 minutes listening to him reaming out someone with a stream of abuse for having missed some interviews he'd set up. I was feeling rather uneasy because I was going in to ask him to do a big PR job for me for gratis. It didn't bode well. I was astonished when I saw one of the richest men in Canada walking out of his office, tail between his legs, apologizing profusely. I walked into his office with very little hope of a good conclusion to our meeting. He was still angry and when I explained the gratis part of the deal... his reaction was something like... "are you crazy?... you got some balls! ...do you have any idea how much I cost?" Next day his secretary called me with appointments for 18 interviews. A campaign that resulted in about 350 items in all media.
The last time we were together was at a film awards ceremony a couple of years ago. We talked often since then but that was the last time I saw him... red suit and all. We sat together and the host of the awards ceremony was not doing too well. Jokes weren't working. Within about 30 seconds of the host starting, Gino nailed it and launched into the most vibrant inappropriate heckling I've ever seen. Gino didn't let up for the whole ceremony. More than a few times even I felt like crawling under the table. Eventually I put aside any attempt at walking out of there with a vestige of my Keynote Speaker status intact and eventually sat back and enjoyed Gino's show. Fact is he always called it like it was and always helped the performance and the performer with honesty, support and a message that was 'Never give up.'. He knew entertainment and entertainers.
I found him to be one of the most honest deal-makers in this business. No games. No bull. Over the years he negotiated impossible deals for us with stars, did PR for both myself and my companies, he mentored me in dark times and negotiated contracts for me personally. I could trust him to do the right thing in just about every aspect of my business. With an absence of relatives in North America he was a kind of perverse and pyrotechnic surrogate uncle. He's been reported as being 83 but I don't think anyone knows for sure. I don't think he would've been too pleased. I assumed he was 70-ish. Whatever his age he was totally active and effective until the end and was, for us, a true Renegade with a huge heart.
See you later Gino.
