Acting · New York City, New York, USA · Born June 3, 1917
Leo Gorcey's parents were actor Bernard Gorcey (born 1888) who stood 4' 10", and Josephine Condon (born 1901), who stood 4' 11" and weighed 95 pounds; they worked in vaudeville in New York. In 1915, 14-year-old Josephine gave birth to Fred. In 1917, Leo was born, a large baby at 12 lb. 3 oz.; as an adult he would be 5' 6". In 1921 his brother David Gorcey was born. In 1935, Leo and David appeared in the stage play "Dead End." In 1937, this was made into a movie, and Leo became one of the busiest actors for the next 20 years -- from 1937-1939 he starred in seven Dead End Kids movies, from 1940-1945 in 21 East Side Kids films, from 1946-1956 in 41 Bowery Boys movies. In 1939, Leo married 17-year-old dancer Kay Marvis, who appeared in four of his movies. They divorced in 1944 after five years of marriage; she went on to marry Groucho Marx. In 1945, Leo married Evalene Bankston; they divorced in 1948. Leo was to have paid her $50,000 in a divorce settlement; however, when two detectives she hired broke into his home, he retaliated by firing his gun at them. They sued, and Leo countersued for illegal entry and won $35,000 back. In 1949, Leo married Amelita Ward, whom he met while filming Smugglers' Cove (1948). Their marriage produced Leo Gorcey Jr. in 1949, and a baby girl they named Jan (after Leo's producer and manager, Jan Grippo) in 1951. They divorced in 1956. That year Leo married his young nanny, Brandy, who was taking care of his two kids. They had a baby girl, Brandy Jo, in 1958. The couple divorced in 1962. Leo went to the altar one last time in February, 1968, marrying Mary Gannon. He stayed married to her until his death from liver failure on June 2, 1969, in Oakland, California.
MovieThe Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter
2020
as (archive footage)
MovieTerror in the Pharaoh's Tomb
2007
as Muggs McGinnis (archive footage)
MovieDracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991
as Muggs (archive footage)
MovieClassic Comedy Teams
1986
as The East Side Kids (archive footage)
MovieHollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieThe Phynx
1970
as Leo Gorcey
MovieSecond Fiddle to a Steel Guitar
1966
as Leo
MovieIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
as First Cab Driver
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
MovieCrashing Las Vegas
1956
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieDig That Uranium
1955
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieJail Busters
1955
as Slip Mahoney
MovieSpy Chasers
1955
as Slip Mahoney
MovieHigh Society
1955
as Slip Mahoney
MovieBowery to Bagdad
1955
as Slip Mahoney
MovieJungle Gents
1954
as 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieThe Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters
1954
as Slip Mahoney
MovieParis Playboys
1954
as Slip Mahoney
MoviePrivate Eyes
1953
as Slip Mahoney
MovieClipped Wings
1953
as Slip Mahoney
MovieLoose in London
1953
as Terence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney
MovieJalopy
1953
as Terrence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieNo Holds Barred
1952
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieFeudin' Fools
1952
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieHere Come the Marines
1952
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieHold That Line
1952
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieCrazy Over Horses
1951
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieLet's Go Navy!
1951
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieGhost Chasers
1951
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieBowery Battalion
1951
as Slip Mahoney
MovieBlues Busters
1950
as Slip Mahoney
MovieTriple Trouble
1950
as Slip Mahoney
MovieLucky Losers
1950
as Slip Mahoney
MovieBlonde Dynamite
1950
as Slip Mahoney
MovieMaster Minds
1949
as Slip Mahoney
MovieAngels in Disguise
1949
as Slip Mahoney
MovieHold That Baby!
1949
as Slip Mahoney
MovieFighting Fools
1949
as Slip Mahoney
MovieTrouble Makers
1948
as Slip Mahoney
MovieSmuggler's Cove
1948
as Slip Mahoney
MovieJinx Money
1948
as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieSo This Is New York
1948
as Sid Mercer
MovieAngels' Alley
1948
as Terence 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieBowery Buckaroos
1947
as Slip Mahoney
MovieNews Hounds
1947
as Terence J. Montgomery 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieHard Boiled Mahoney
1947
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieMr. Hex
1946
as Slip Mahoney
MovieSpook Busters
1946
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieBowery Bombshell
1946
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieIn Fast Company
1946
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieLive Wires
1946
as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
MovieCome Out Fighting
1945
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieMidnight Manhunt
1945
as Clutch Tracy
MovieMr. Muggs Rides Again
1945
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieDocks of New York
1945
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieBowery Champs
1944
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieBlock Busters
1944
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieFollow the Leader
1944
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieMillion Dollar Kid
1944
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieMr. Muggs Steps Out
1943
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieDestroyer
1943
as Seaman Sarecky
MovieGhosts on the Loose
1943
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieClancy Street Boys
1943
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieKid Dynamite
1943
as Muggs McGinnis
Movie'Neath Brooklyn Bridge
1942
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieSmart Alecks
1942
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieMaisie Gets Her Man
1942
as Cecil
MovieLet's Get Tough
1942
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieSunday Punch
1942
as 'Biff'
MovieMr. Wise Guy
1942
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieBorn to Sing
1942
as 'Snap' Collins
MovieSpooks Run Wild
1941
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieBowery Blitzkrieg
1941
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieDown in San Diego
1941
as 'Snap' Collins
MovieOut of the Fog
1941
as Eddie
MovieAngels with Broken Wings
1941
as Punchy Dorsey
MovieFlying Wild
1941
as Muggs McGinnis
MoviePride of the Bowery
1940
as Muggs Maloney
MovieGallant Sons
1940
as Doc Reardon
MovieHullabaloo
1940
as Apartment House Bellhop
MovieThat Gang of Mine
1940
as Muggs Maloney
MovieBoys of the City
1940
as Muggs McGinnis
MovieInvisible Stripes
1939
as Jimmy
MoviePrivate Detective
1939
as Newsboy (uncredited)
MovieOn Dress Parade
1939
as Slip Duncan
MovieAngels Wash Their Faces
1939
as Leo Finnegan
MovieHell's Kitchen
1939
as Gyp Haller
MovieThey Made Me a Criminal
1939
as Spit
MovieSwingtime in the Movies
1938
as Crime School Kid (uncredited)
MovieAngels with Dirty Faces
1938
as Bim
MovieCrime School
1938
as Charles 'Spike' Hawkins
MovieThe Beloved Brat
1938
as Spike Matz
MovieMannequin
1938
as Clifford Cassidy
MovieHeadin' East
1937
as Boy Boxer in Gym (uncredited)
MoviePortia on Trial
1937
as Joe Gannow
MovieDead End
1937
as Spit
