How Dean Martin Once Destroyed An Expensive Vintage Car At A McDonald's Drive-Thru
Dean Martin was fond of Italian comfort food. So much so that he once sang about an Italian soup called pasta e fagioli (or pasta fazool, as we of the Italian-American persuasion call it) in his hit song "That's Amore." On one occasion, though, he paid a very high price for some good old American fast food. According to Phil Crosby, Junior (whose grandpa, Bing, was another mid-century crooner), Dean Martin was dating Phil's mom, Peggy, back in the mid-'70s. One night the three of them were returning from some kind of social event where Phil hadn't enjoyed the food so they made a pit stop at a McDonald's drive-thru to get him something he would eat. Dean was driving his Stutz Blackhawk at the time because he owned three of these classic cars (the 1972, 1974, and 1976 models). Unfortunately, he pulled the big, boat-like vehicle in wrong and the sides got scraped up.
Crosby reported that Martin was unfazed by the damage to his car, characterizing his not-quite-stepdad as someone who wasn't really bothered by material possessions. However, as one user commenting on a Fox News Facebook post about the incident pointed out, "It's easy to be 'not materialistic' when you can easily afford to pay for the damage. Would a poor or working-class person who wrecked their car and freaked out about it be guilty of 'materialism?'" Even so, the fact that Martin didn't blame Crosby and instead just laughed off the accident made a positive impression on the boy, one he still holds half a century later.
Martin's accident may have had nothing to do with his public persona
Many comments on the Fox News Facebook post about Dean Martin's long-ago fender-bender seemed to assume that he was driving under the influence of alcohol. Nothing in Phil Crosby's account supports this, though. What's more, Martin's public persona as a habitual drunk seems to have been largely kayfabe, even if he did his best to play into it. (All three of his Stutz Blackhawks bore the personalized plate "Drunky.")
As it happens, this was all part of an act. According to Martin's daughter, Deanna, he was actually imbibing apple juice onstage. Sure, he may have enjoyed a few cocktails with his fellow Rat Packers — Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra was himself quite the boozer and requested that his dressing room be stocked with a huge amount of alcohol. At home, however, Martin would stick to having a single cocktail with his wife. And despite his drunken act, he was never intoxicated while performing.
It seems unlikely that Martin would have endangered his girlfriend and her child by driving while intoxicated and he didn't have a history of DUI charges. Nor is alcohol the only explanation for such a mishap. McDonald's didn't open its first drive-thru until 1975, so at the time Martin had his accident the concept was still new. What's more, drive-thrus can sometimes still be a bit tricky for larger vehicles. (I once smashed the headlight of a Bronco at a fast food drive-thru while 100% sober.)
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).