John Brascia

Who was John Brascia?

John F. Brascia was an American actor and dancer, noted for his dancing partnerships on film with Vera-Ellen in White Christmas and with Cyd Charisse and Liliane Montevecchi in Meet Me in Las Vegas. With dancer Tybee Arfa, the dance team known as Brascia and Tybee became - beginning in 1957 - a top specialty in major U.S. nightclubs, appearing as the opening act for artists like Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Tony Martin and George Burns, among others. Married in 1958, the duo appeared frequently on television's The Ed Sullivan Show and on The Hollywood Palace. Brascia began acting in non-dancing film roles beginning in 1967, culminating in 1980's The Baltimore Bullet for which he was Producer, and credited with the film's Story and Screenplay. Brascia died at a nursing home of Parkinson's disease in on February 19, 2013. He was 80.