Gino Bramieri

Gino Bramieri [ˈdʒiːno braˈmjɛːri] (21 June 1928 – 18 June 1996) was an Italian comedian and actor. He was especially known as a television comedian, but also performed in theatres, on radio, and in about thirty movies. He was nicknamed "Il Re della barzelletta" ("the King of jokes") for his burlesque comic style, which was largely based on his skill at telling funny stories. His jokes were sometimes as quick as a cut and thrust, and bordering on surrealism. They have been collected in a series of books, such as 50 chili fa ("50 kilos ago", a collection he published after dieting).

Bramieri was born in Milan, Italy, into a humble family. He made his stage debut in 1943, with the prose company in prose of Egisto Olivieri. He later graduated in accountancy at night school. In 1948 he got married and had a son. Bramieri's career was launched by Erminio Macario, who entered him in his revue company in 1949. In his career, he has performed together with many prominent Italian comedians and actors, including Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia, Peppino De Filippo, Aldo Fabrizi, Ave Ninchi, Nino Taranto, Raimondo Vianello, Renato Rascel, and Totò. His career in television reached its apex in the 1960s–1970s, with RAI television shows such as Tigre contro tigre, Il signore ha suonato?, E noi qui and others; in the 1980s, he conducted a show named after him, the Gino Bramieri show (aka G.B. Show).

He died of cancer at the age of 67, and was buried in Milan's Cimitero Monumentale, a privilege that is traditionally reserved to outstanding Milanese citizens.

A street of Milan (district of Porta Nuova) as well as an avenue in Rome (in the Pineto city park) have been renamed in his honour.