BART BRAVERMAN

February 1, 1946

Bartley Louis Braverman (aka Bart Bradley until 1962) was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 1, 1946. He is best known as Binzer on the ABC prime time series “Vega$” (1978–81) but Lucy fans remember him fondly as Giuseppe, the little Italian boy who claims to be celebrating his birthday. 

He made his screen debut in the 1955 Columbia film Cell 2455, Death Row, which also starred Lucy players Eleanor Audley and Paul Dubov. Many of the same background performers who worked on “I Love Lucy” populated the film. 

“Lucy Gets Homesick in Italy” (ILL S5;E22) was filmed on March 1, 1956 in Hollywood although it took place in Florence, Italy.  

This was his fifth screen role.

Braverman played Giuseppe, a shoeshine boy from Florence, Italy. 

The episode was first aired on April 9, 1956. 

In 1958, Braverman returned to Desilu to do an episode of their “December Bride” that also featured former child actor Mickey Rooney as himself. 

In 1999, Bart Braverman (center) attended the Loving Lucy Convention. Also on the panel were the Bordon Twins (Teensy and Weensy), Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky), and Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby).

For many years, Bart suffered from epilepsy which caused seizures. This forced him to quit acting on live television and onstage. In 2005, he underwent brain surgery that cured his epilepsy.

Braverman married Patricia Lynn Arey in 1968. They were divorced ten years later. In 1982, he married Sharon Diane Dornfeld.