Wednesday comedy night at Seasons

By Jack Shea
Published: August 20, 2009

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Fred "Trader Fred" Mascolo probably can't imagine what will happen next week when Lenny Clarke shows up at Seasons restaurant in Oak Bluffs - not after last Sunday, when he went to Seasons Comedy Night on Circuit Avenue with a few friends, figuring he'd just have a couple drinks and a couple of laughs with the crowd.

Mike Santoro, general manager of Seasons Eatery & Pub, adds impresario to his list of responsibilities. Photos by Ralph Stewart

Frank Santorelli opened the set, getting high comic mileage out of a corny imitation of Skipper on Gilligan's Island and by recounting the number of severe beatings (eight) he took as the bartender at Bada Bing's on the former hit HBO series "The Sopranos." Mr. Santorelli proudly announced he'll also be appearing in Olive Garden restaurant TV ads soon. "It's good to be a chubby Italian right now," he said.

A couple of laughs with the crowd - that is until Joe Yanetti took over the mic. Mr. Yanetti - the second of three A-list comics presented by Seasons managing partner Mike Santoro - took a sudden shine to Trader Fred, one of the Island's classic personalities, and once becoming his buddy, made him an integral part of his stand-up act. By the time the comedian was done, the audience saw several shots of Michael Collins Irish whiskey appear then disappear on stage and at Trader Fred's table.

But Mr. Yanetti's lubrication strategy produced a lot of entertaining information. In a machine-gun style Q and A session, Mr. Yanetti discovered that Trader Fred is 100 percent Italian, with forefathers from northern and central Italy.

Island favorite Lenny Clarke headlines next week's comedy show at Seasons.

"Waddaya mean 'northern and central' ? These places don't have names yet?" Mr. Yanetti hollered.

Everyone also learned that Trader Fred is not married, has three boats and is in retail - we knew that part. His name is on his stores in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven. After the show, Trader Fred just grinned. "No idea this was going to happen, but in this economy any time you can laugh, it's good," he said.

Mr. Yannetti is a screenwriter and writer and performer on the Classic Rock Morning Show with Tai and Steve Sweeney, on 100.7 WZLX -FM in Boston. He has appeared on more than 40 television shows including the Rosie O'Donnell Show and has movie credits. He also knows how to work a crowd.

Trader Fred got a break when headliner Steve Sweeney, "the godfather of Boston comedy," took the mic to finish the three-act, two-hour show. Sweeney did classic Boston neighborhood humor and asked Islanders probably the most thoughtful question of the evening: "Waddaya gonna do with all those tee-shirts if Obama doesn't show up?"

The comics played to more than 150 Islanders and visitors as part of a two-week comedy tour being produced by Mr. Santoro, who said after the show that he is committed to keeping comedy alive on the Vineyard. "We'll probably get 250 for Lenny's show. We've already sold 100 tickets," he said. Next Wednesday, August 26, local comedian and movie and TV star ("Rescue Me") Lenny Clarke will headline a troika of comics including Tony V and Kevin Knox, billed as the wild man of comedy.

Mr. Santoro said that while the comedy night helps his business to some degree, his commitment is to keep the tradition of comedy alive on the Vineyard. He said he booked comedy nights during his management stint at the former Atlantic Connection on Circuit Avenue (now the Family Amusement Center) and was the first impresario to bring comedy acts to the Cape in 1983.

"Lenny Clarke was the first act I booked, at Guido Murphy's in Hyannis in 1983," he recalled. "I'd say I do this about 50-50, half for business and half because I love and believe in live comedy," he said. Mr. Clarke has publicly credited Mr. Santoro for an early career boost and the two Island residents are good friends.

By Las Vegas nightclub standards, Seasons is a small venue and each of Sunday's performers noted the size of the venue. "Next week I'm at the Dunkin' Donuts in Summah-ville (Somerville)," Mr. Sweeney announced.

But the comedy stars were there Sunday night and will be again on the 26th because men like Lenny Clarke and Steve Sweeney go for the quick laugh but they also have long memories.

Can't imagine what Trader Fred's in for next week.

Lenny Clark headlines at Seasons Comedy Night on Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, on Wednesday, Aug. 26. 508-693-7129.

Jack Shea is a regular contributor to The Times.