Timeline
November 8, 1906 -- Frank Thomas Saluto was born in Massachusetts
1931 - Joined Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus
1936 - Voted "Most Popular Clown" by his peers in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily Circus
1955 - left RBB&B
Between 1955 and 1960 - Joined Clyde Beatty and Cole Bros Circus
1960 - rejoined RBB&B
1974 - retired from RBB&B at the age of 65
July 30, 1982 -- passed away in Sarasota, FL
1991 -- Inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame
1908-ish
Frankie is on the right in the rocking chair, surrounded by a few of his siblings - Rose, Lillian, and Phily, and unknown whose name ends in -gerita.
1915-ish
Frankie furthest left with his father, Tom Saluto, and brother, Georgie.
Circus Blue Books
Frankie Saluto joined Ringling Brothers in 1931, or at least sometime between the publication of the 1930 and 1931 Circus Blue Book releases.
1930
Frankie is not listed as a circus performer.
1931
Frankie is listed as a circus performer for Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey.
1938
Ed Kelty, photographer, takes a picture, RB & B&B, 1938.
Frankie is in the bottom row, furthest right.
april 1939
4-27-1939 Photo shows Frank Saluto doing a tight rope act on a two inch pipe. Two of his pals cheer him on. Bellevue Hospital, NY.
August 1941
At the ????
Liberty Lake, Washington
Aug 31, 1941
1945
Listed in the Performers section of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey 1945 Route Book.
Diamond Jubilee Anniversary
Unknown Date
Reproduction of a negative, no description given.
You can buy one yourself!
1945
Photo from book, "Pink Lemonade," by Maxwell Frederic Copland published in 1945.
Maxwell Frederic Coplan (February 13, 1912 – July 1, 1985) was an American photographer. His subjects included Bob Dylan, Alfred Hitchcock, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, as well as many other noted public figures of his time.
April 1945
4-9-45 CIRCUS KIDS KEEP UP WITH THEIR ABC'S NEW YORK. . . . A COUPLE OF LUCKY KIDS ARE PEPPI,3, AND NITA,9, BORZA. NOT ONLY ARE THEY A PART OF THE CIRCUS BUT THEIR "SCUOLLMARM” IS LOVELY JUANITA ROYAL, STAR AERIALIST. HERE, THE CHILDREN OF CHARLES (CHARLES & ADRIANE), TRAMPOLINEISTS, GET AN ARITHMETIC LESSON FROM PRETTY TEACHER AS MIDGET CLOWN FRANK SALUTO KIBITZES.
April 1946
New York Yankees Babe Ruth stands with clowns, Frankie Saluto, Charles Bell and cancer victim, Leonard Rods during an American Cancer Society make-a-wish photo shoot on April 17, 1946.
Unknown Date
No Date. Eddie Jackson Circus Photos. Not all names known. Back row: Charlie Bell, Paul Jung. Bottom row: Frankie Saluto, Prince Paul, Jimmy Armstrong.
Unknown date
A brilliant performer, favorite of both young and old, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey's famous Midget Clown, Frankie Suluto, will appear in the Shrine Circus this year.
Suluto is spelled incorrectly on the post card.
May 1946
Frankie Saluto & Pete
RB - B&B, Philadelphia
May 30, 1946
1947
Listed in The Big Show's Congress of Clowns. From the Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey 1947 Circus Magazine & Program.
april 1951
ANNE MACE, QUEEN OF THE CIRCUS SERENADE, MAKES AN EYEFUL AS SHE WALKS THROUGH ONE OF THE HALLS OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN PAST THE ADMIRING GLANCE OF FRANK SALUTO, MIDGET CLOWN OF THE RINGLING BROTHERS AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS NOW IN NEW YORK CITY.
the bakers
Unknown Date
Seven clowns push a big black stove into the ring. There's a white cake on the stove. Frankie Saluto grabs the cake and starts to run with all the cooks hot on his heels. Suddenly Frankie slips and the cake flies through the air, spattering everybody nearby with white icing.
Then Frankie peeks into the oven and sees a fine goose roasting there. My, it smells good! He grabs it and starts to run again.
This time the cooks catch Frankie and pop him into the oven with the goose. Bang! The whole stove explodes! Frankie and the goose fly through the air right over the heads of the audience.
Fred Honkala is the white-face clown in this act, and Myron Orton is the chief cook. Myron likes to tell a funny story about himself. Years ago, when he was running across the ring in one of his acts, a boy in the audience yelled, "Look! A clown is loose!"
All the boys and girls piled down into the ring to catch the runaway clown!
September 1953
9/7/53 - TIME FOR COMEDY
DENVER, COLO.: Little children gaze in wonderment at the grotesque figure on the table performing especially for them. Midget clown Frankie Saluto paid the youngsters at the National Jewish Hospital a visit, since they couldn't go to the circus themselves.
Unknown Date
Painting by Corinne Bruno
May/June 1954
Anita Hutten of aerial ballet and Frankie Saluto King of Midget Clowns of Boston
June 1957
Jimmy Armstrong & Frankie Saluto
Clyde Beatty Show
June 23, 1957
May 1958
Clyde Beatty
Meadville, PA
5/24/58
November 1960
November 16, 1960. Another comparative newcomer will be Frankie Saluto, who measures 3 feet, 7 1/4 inches in height. Although he has been a clown for 27 years, he had been away from Ringling Brothers for five years.
Four main production numbers this year will be a new aerial ballet, "Monkeyland Aloft," with performers in monkey costumes; "Fairyland Fantasy," a big parade half way through the show; "Folk- land Fair," with Hungarian outfits and bareback riding, and the finale, a tribute to the new states of Alaska and Hawaii.
Frankie Saluto, dwarf clown, reads his mail to William A. Ashbolt, Cleveland Plain Dealer photographer and circus buff.
1962
From the 1962 92nd Season Circus Souvenir Magazine and Program. No caption.
early 1960's
Original Description: Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus...I am guessing early 1960's...I see folks like Lou Jacobs, Duane Thorpe, Michael Polakovs, Prince Paul, Glen Sunbury, Frankie Saluto, Paul Jung, Gene Lewis, Freddie Freeman, etc.
"Coco" Polakovs joined RBBB in 1962 and Paul Jung was murdered in 1965...so this photo was taken sometime between 1962 and 1965.
3'x2' photo mounted to masonite
1962-1969
Photo in the Circus Souvenir Magazine and Program for at least 92nd season through the 99th season (1962 through 1969) for the Pantomimic Pranksters.
april 1962
NEW YORK: Cindy, a 32-month old patient at Bellevue Hospital, puts a disbelieving hand to the bulbous nose of clown Frankie Saluto during the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey one-ring circus performance for some 3,000 patients in the hospital’s courtyard 4/16. (Editors:Patients’ last names omitted.)
December 1965
DEC 19, 1965
Circus Folk Give Children Holiday Gift
Approximately 250 underprivileged children from Manatee and Sarsota Counties were guests at a circus Christmas party sponsored by the show folks of Sarasota. Among performers who entertained were Koko, the clown, left, and Frank Saluto, right, top picture, shown talking to Tony Edelston, Melody Doettger and Vicki Edelston. In lower picture, it was cotton candy for everyone. Handing out the candy is Murray Fein. The event was held at the Sarasota County fair grounds. The show lasted about 2 hours.
Unknown date
Otto Griebling, unknown, Frankie, Coco, and Lou Jacobs.
1967
The book, "Clowns," autographed by some people who knew the subject well...the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus clowns for the year 1967.
1967
From the 1967 97th Season Circus Souvenir Magazine and Program.
1968
Autographed press photo
Autographed press photo
For my Friend Oscar from Big Little Man of of the Circus 1967
Ringling Bros 1968
Frankie Saluto
september 1969
9-30-1969 -- Minnhaha Park, Minneapolis, MN. Keith Crarey, with Fred Messig, 7 months old 4019 39th Ave. Mpls. is sure letting off steam, as clown Frank Saluto, holding him.
1969
From the "Congress of Clowns" page in the 1969 99th Season Circus Souvenir Magazine and Program.
1970
1970 -- A trailer containing props for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus loomed over the heads of two of the show's clowns. Keith Crary (right), 19, of 3976 S. Taylor Ave., and Frankie Saluto grinned as they awaited a show call. Young Crary is a graduate of the circus clown college at Sarasota, Fla., and has been with Ringling for two years. Crary's father, Perle, is rate traffic manager for the Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co., which sponsors the annual Old Milwaukee Days celebration in July. The circus will be in Milwaukee then.
1974
Charlton Heston and James Stewart meet at The Greatest Show on Earth for the first time since filming "The Greatest Show on Earth."
Taken from a page in the 1974 104th Edition Souvenir Program and Magazine. $2.00
1991
Cover of the program for the Third Clown Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Frankie's profile page in the ceremony program.
Frankie Saluto
(1906 - 1982)
Frankie Saluto was short in stature, but quickly became big in clowning circles. He began clowning in 1928 and shortly afterwards joined the Ringling Brothers Circus. He became known as the whiteface dwarf with the large white rabbit. His career also included an interpretation of a miniature Charlie Chaplin and he was a member of the Ringling Giants, a midget baseball team that promoted the circus. Saluto had the distinction of being chosen as the "most popular clown with RBB&B" for which he was awarded a diamond stickpin. Pictured frequently in circus programs as well as appearing in books on circus and clowning, he retired at age 65 after 46 years of clowning.
1991
Induction Poster
The Clown Hall of Fame & Research Center, Inc.
October 1991
Unsure Date
Jim Howle print of "Frankie"