Stabile, longtime manager of Jerry Lewis, dies at 87

Stephen Curran

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.

Joe Stabile, 87, a longtime manager and close friend of comedian Jerry Lewis, died June 19 at his home in Las Vegas after a four-year battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Stabile, who began his career as an Army bandleader in World War II, frequented Las Vegas in the 1950s as a member of the orchestra for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, as well as for the Groucho Marx show "You Bet Your Life."

The orchestra played Ciro's, Slapsy Maxies and opening night at the Flamingo on the Strip, a far cry from his early years performing, when he supplemented his income with wordworking, a skill he passed on to his son, Matt Stabile of Las Vegas.

"He was always a great teacher and he was always a great father," Matt Stabile said. "I was always proud to introduce him as my dad."

When Martin and Lewis split in 1956, Stabile became Lewis' manager, a position he held until his death.

Lewis, a Las Vegas resident, was vacationing out of state and could not be reached for comment.

Stabile married his first wife, singer Henrietta Hartman, while serving in the military. He and his second wife, Claudia, moved to Las Vegas in the late 1970s.

Matt Stabile also credits his father, who for many years was executive producer for Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, with encouraging him to enter the television business more than 20 years ago. The son is now a TV producer.

In addition to his wife, Claudia, and son Matt, Joe Stabile is survived by his sons John of Northridge, Calif., and Mark of Las Vegas; daughters Judith of Venice Beach, Calif., and Amy of Las Vegas; brother William of Arizona; and four grandchildren.

The family requests that donations in Stabile's memory be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association or the Alzheimer's Association.

A memorial service was held Tuesday at Palm Mortuary, 1600 S. Jones Blvd.