Who Are Those Guys? ~ Vince Edwards

 

Vincent Edward Zoino was born in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York, to Julia and Vincento Zoine, an Italian-American bricklayer on July 9, 1928. He and his twin brother, Anthony, were the youngest of seven children.

Vince studied aviation mechanics at East New York Vocational High School, graduating in June 1944 at the age of 15.

An excellent swimmer, he worked as a lifeguard at Coney Island and swam for the Flatbush Boys Club. He was a standout on his high school swimming team, also playing on the school's baseball and track teams. He then studied at Ohio State University on an athletic scholarship and was part of the university's team that won the United States Swimming National Championships. After two years at Ohio State, he transferred to the University of Hawaii where he spent much time training as a swimmer for the Olympics. During his college studies he was involved in theater productions

Edwards studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; his classmates included Anne Bancroft, John Cassavetes, and Grace Kelly. In 1950, he was signed to a contract by Paramount Pictures, making his film debut as Vincent Edwards in 1951's “Mister Universe”. It was not until he was featured as the title character in the highly successful ‘Ben Casey’ television series that he achieved stardom. The medical drama, which he occasionally directed, ran from 1961 to 1966. As a result of the show's success and his own popularity, Edwards released several music albums and appeared in the all-star war film ‘The Victors’ in 1963. He also directed a number of episodes in a variety of television series including the original ‘Battlestar Galactica’.

Edwards died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 1996. He was 67.

EDWARDS, Vince (aka Vincent Edwards) (Vincent Edward Zoino) [7/9/1928, Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.A. – 3/11/1996, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (pancreatic cancer)] – producer, director, writer, film, TV actor, singer, married to actress, singer Kathy Kersh (Kathleen Kroeger Kersh) [1942-    ] (1965-1965) father of Devera Allene Edwards [1965-    ], married to actress, singer Linda Foster [1944-    ] (1967-1972) father of Nicole Edwards [1969-    ], Angela Edwards [1970-    ], married to director, actress Cassandra Edwards (1980-1982), married to Janet Marie Friedman [1950-    ] (1994-1996).

The Desperados! – 1969 (David Galt)