A great man passed away last week on March 6th, 2017 at the age of 94.  Matty Azzarone was my friend and mentor for close to 40 years in an industry that was stressful, where the days were long and exhausting and personalities over-shadowed abilities.  But through it all, Matty was always there.

When I was working at Paramount Studios in the mid 1970's, I was a young, up-and-coming property master trying to make it in the business.  The studio Prop Department assigned Matty to work with me as my assistant. The "powers that be" wanted him out of the prop house and back working on shows where his expertise & knowledge could be better used.  The Hollywood studio system has always been a highly competitive industry where friends are hard to come by...  Besides, you're always moving from show-to-show and studio-to-studio.  Along with my dad, Matty became the mentor and friend whose guidance and vast knowledge of the business helped me a great deal.  He taught me what to do, but mostly what NOT to do... Little did I know back then that this unusual pairing would blossom into a beautiful friendship that would last a lifetime.

Matty Azzarone was a WWII veteran who started working in the studios during the 1940's heyday of Hollywood.  He learned the "old school" way of working on the set, relating to and communicating with the actors & crew - not like today where everyone uses head-sets and cell phones...  Matty had a certain presence that everyone on set enjoyed and admired. He was a great shmoozer.  And he could sell the Brooklyn Bridge. But Matty didn't have an ego and never asked for recognition. Matty could convince both actors and directors into whatever prop was needed for a scene and they would listen. He liked being "the boss" even though he wasn't, but he never took advantage of my position as the department head. We had a great working relationship throughout the years whether we were on the same show or not. And many a night was spent at Matty and Fran's home, having a delicious Italian meal (cooked by the Chef himself!), talking "studio shop" at their kitchen table. I had a standing invitation for dinner every Wednesday night for over 20 years.

I will always remember my friend and colleague, Matty Azzarone - his kindness and his generosity, his level-headedness and always his great advise. And I know he's up there in heaven now, telling God how to "run the show".