FRANKLY FRANGO

Frank Becerra: Gifted Artist and Human Being

by John Frango

3-16-00

Frank Becerra is a gifted artist: more important, he's a gifted human being.

I met Frank more than a half-century ago when he was behind the counter at the popular Cohen's ice cream parlor and candy store in the Golden Ghetto of Lexington Avenue in White Plains, New York.

Frank's "artistic" nature came to the fore even during those halcyon days when he and the late Morris Cohen made the most sinfully delicious and delightful ice cream sundaes (15 cents) and banana splits (25 cents). Frank and Morris were the talk not only of White Plains but the entire county. The kids always packed the house, especially on movie nights, Fridays and Saturdays.

Eventually, Frank attended the celebrated Art Students League in New York City at nights under the G.I. Bill. He started his career with the famous Cunningham & Walsh ad agency as a "runner" for Chesterfield cigarettes; then he amassed a portfolio he was satisfied with, encouraging him to "make it on his own."

He wanted to excel in sports caricature and portraits so he visited the ubiquitous Guido Cribari of the Macy chain. Cribari considered Frank's portfolio terrific. And if Cribari didn't know someone of importance--he knew someone who did.

Consequently, Cribari got Frank an intro to the literate but somewhat aloof Ben Carrol, then biggie of the Reporter-Dispatch.

Carrol loved Frank's portfolio, but no jobs were available.

However, just six months later, Frank Becerra becomes the first art director of the Reporter-Dispatch. He did everything from in-house ads to promotional pieces to sports caricatures.

That was in 1954. Thirty-eight years later he retired as the most talked-about and talented and beloved artist in the history of the Macy, as well as the Gannett, chains.

Frank and I had breakfast recently at the very popular City Limits across the street from the County Center, where in 1943 the late, great Louie Prima marched the band down the stage and up the aisles playing "When The Saints Come Marching In" as the crowd clapped and cheered vociferously.

Prima also wrote "Sing, Sing, Sing," the quintessential "swing" number--made famous by Benny Goodman's brilliant rendition.

A number of years ago my late partner, Mike Yuro, and I, were handling public relations for Creative Playthings, then a division of CBS. The company was holding its annual meeting and Mike and I were charged with entertainment, providing a keynote speaker, and a give-away.

The theme of the meeting was baseball--so Mike and I decided to "give-away" baseball cards--featuring the faces of key sales people and leading executives on the front of the card with vital "business" stats in the back: then gum was inserted and the package wrapped in cellophane--a la the 1930s.

We hired Frank to sketch the salesmen and the executives: the promotion was not only a hit, but--if memory serves correctly--it earned Frango-Yuro an award. Requests for extra "cards" by people were very satisfying.

A laid-back, seen-it-all art director of the corporation asked me about the "artist" who sketched the "heads." We responded immediately, "Frank Becerra of the prestigious Gannet chain." He responded, "The guy's damn good."

"You definitely have an eye for the obvious" we said as we walked away.

Frank did a portrait of my late mother on her 77th birthday. I have literally hundreds of black-and-white and color photos of her and nothing has ever captured her inner beauty and humanity as Frank's portrait. Scott Fitzgerald said that some things are so poignant that they cause the "poetry of pain."

I cannot look at Frank's portrait of my mother without feeling the "poetry of pain." I find myself weeping.

Thank you, Frank, from the bottom of my heart.

Incidentally, one of Frank's more profoundly amusing caricatures is of the shy, unassuming, unaffected, self-effacing, modest and extremely magnanimous William O'Shaughnessy, biggie with WRTN-WVOX in New Rochelle. It's on the inside of Billy's book "Airwaves," which, by the way, is not a page-turner, but a rather interesting read.

Becerra has painted and completed caricatures of literally hundreds of athletes, politicians, actors, actresses, doctors, lawyers, teachers and the "little people." And most of them free of charge.

I'm almost certain that half of the homes in Westchester County have a painting or a caricature by Frank.

He's a sweetheart of an artist and a human being. The Frank Becerras of the world come along once in a lifetime. And I'm damn grateful he came along in mine.