John Cluskey, at one time rated as one of the best dancers of his day, died at Albany, N. Y., September 17, 1864.
Alexander Zanfretta, the famous pantomimist, played important minstrel engagements, notably with Simmons and Slocum’s, in Philadelphia, and with Haverly.
He died in Brooklyn, N. Y., May 14, 1899.
Charles H. Duprez was one of the great managers of early minstrelsy.
In 1852 he made his entre into the profession at New Orleans, La., with the company that was afterwards known as Carle, Duprez and Green’s Minstrels. In 1858 the organization was known as Duprez and Green’s, and it remained as such until 1865 at Green Bay, Wis., when Mr. Green retiring, Lew Benedict purchased his interest, and Duprez and Benedict’s Minstrels were organized; Mr. Benedict retired from the company in 1876; Mr. Duprez continued on with the same trade-mark until about 1885, when retiring from minstrelsy he went into the hotel business in Lowell, Mass.
Charles H. Duprez was born in Paris, France, March 13, 1830; he died in Providence, R. I., August 31, 1902.
J. A. Basquin, a well-known minstrel singer, who was also known at various times as J. J. Roberts and J. Waterman, was a prominent member of Buckley’s Serenaders in the 60’s and early 70’s, also with Unsworth and Eugene in England in 1868.
J. A. Basquin was born in France; he died in Brooklyn, N. Y., January 27, 1872; age 42 years.
John Simpson, prominent for many years as business manager of Bryant’s Minstrels, in New York City, died November 15, 1881.
Wm. T. Bryant (O’Brien), a brother of Dan, Neil and Jerry, a mediocre performer, was with Bryant’s Minstrels in New York at the time of his death, September 23, 1865.