SZOU & VITO PAULEKAS
{at the Mondo Hollywood shoot}

 VITAUTUS ALPHONSUS "VITO" PAULEKAS

Vito Paulekas was an accomplished artist, clay sculptor and instructor, a trained freeform dancer, and the founding leader & "Guru" of the "L.A. Freak Scene"  in the early Sixties.

{Vito also played violin}
Vito was born, the son of John & Rosa Paulekas, on May 20, 1913. One of three children (brother, Bennie - Sister, Alberta) born to the Lithuanian couple, he didn't learn to speak English until he entered grammar school at the age of six. What he did learn prior to speaking English, was wood carving, an art taught to the youngster by his grandfather, recognized locally as a master sculptor, and expert wood carver. It was this talent which would supply the majority of income earned throughout his long, eventful life. Never much of a student, the imaginative kid looked to less conventional methods for education, and the same applied to career plans. He hoped that his overwhelming love of expressive free-form dance, might provide an alternative source of income and he sought out professional instruction in that field (jazz). The instruction was short, but his love of dance remained a large influence for the next 60 years of his long, eventful life. In fact, when the 19 yr. old dancer won the First Prize of $1,000.00 at a highly promoted marathon dance contest (Revere, Mass. 1932), he was convinced that he would never have to work again. As delusional as that may seem, Vito would supplement his income for the next 50 years as a dance instructor, in Hollywood, in Cotati, and even teaching courses at Sonoma State College, until well into his sixties..

Growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts, a small (pop.-100,000) town not far from Boston, the bright, rebellious youth found his anti-social ideas and actions often conflicted with the town's conservative establishment. However, his ideas did influence a group of younger Lowell rebels; one of whom was a French Canadian lad named Jack Kerouac. The high school student would embrace Vito's radical new social concepts and develop them further after earning an athletic scholarship to Boston College, Notre Dame, and Columbia University. It wasn't until after WWII that Kerouac's writing found an audience (On The Road), and he became recognized as a leader in the 50's "Beat Generation" (Beatniks), which was slowly evolving in the Coffee Houses of New York City.

In contrast to the younger (9yrs) Kerouac's impressive scholastic background, Vito would find himself in & out of Reform School for close to 2 years. Not too long after, together with a couple teen buddies, he was apprehended (his head covered with a nylon stocking), in a ludicrous attempt to hold up the local movie theater in 1938. No longer a juvenile, but thanks to his background, the 25 year old Paulekas was sentenced to State Prison for 25 years. In 1942, Vito agreed to a judge's generous offer of accepting his enrollment in the US Merchant Marines, in lieu of serving the remainder of the 25 year prison sentence. Ironically, service in the Merchant Marines was the only background similarity shared by the two counter-culture pioneers from Lowell, Mass..
Vito, though almost a decade older than Kerouac in age, would follow The Beat author's success and eventual recognition as a leader in the subsequent 'Beat Generation' movement, by another decade.
It was almost that long before the dancer/sculptor/'guru' would finally apply the revolutionary social ideas developed in his youth, and now inspired by the success of Kerouac,
This time, Vito's revised 'Freak' social concepts would spawn the counter-culture of the 60s "Flower Power" of the era's "Hippie Revolution".
 

Though the 30 year difference in age was generally viewed as socially repugnant, the mismatched couple succumbed to social ideology and were joined in marriage on June 7, 1961.

The enterprising newlyweds explored the Bay Area before deciding on Hollywood as the location to introduce their radical new lifestyle and artistic endeavors. They agreed that the former social epicenter of Hollywood entertainment, the famed Sunset Strip, was the most viable location for their 'Freak' social revolution and the presentation of their artistic wares to the Los Angeles public. 

Vito's lifelong love of dance (he participated as a 'Marathon Dancer' in the 30s), coupled with his natural leadership skills, resulted in his creation of nightly 'Dance Classes'.as well as the Sculpting.
The dance instruction manifested into a loosely-knit 35 member freeform dance troupe, which began showing up nightly, wherever Live Music was featured in Hollywood. Known by several names, the bizarre, brightly colored, oddly dressed, assemble of misfit dancers, will forever be remembered best as
"Vito and the Freaks". 

After Carl Franzoni joined Vito's clan, he persuaded the artist to change the free-wheeling commune's residence from the studio, to .
The former home of Tom Mix had fallen into disrepair in the 40 years since the Western Star's celebrated occupancy. Ignored by it's owners, the huge 2 story cabin, and nearby caves, had become home to "squatters" and canyon transients for decades. The infusion of Vito's clan of motley freaks actually cleaned up the premises, plus added that 'female freak touch' which the cabin was lacking. It was quickly converted to
"The Ultimate Psychedelic Pleasure Palace".

In the liner notes to Frank Zappa's first album

 Freak Out!  
 "These People Have Contributed Materially in Many Ways
to Make Our Music What it is.
Please Do Not Hold it Against them."

Both Vito Paulekas & Carl Franzoni are included in the above list, as well as receiving credit for their vocals
 - no one knows where or when the vocals were recorded or added.
In addition, both 'Freaks' are also listed under: 'The Mothers' Auxiliary'.

Mid 1963, Carl Franzoni meets Vito at 'CLAY VITO' art studio
Mid 1964, Zappa-Franzoni first meet at Ben Frank's on Sunset Strip.
Mar 9, 1966-Mar 12, 1966 Recording dates of debut album FREAK OUT!
March, 1968 - Zappa moves from New York into Laurel Canyon Log Cabin

The opening track on FREAK OUT!, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention's very first LP, was
"Hungry Freaks, Daddy", which Frank Zappa dedicated to Carl "Capt. Fuck"  Franzoni.
 The bizarre pop song clearly announced the band's forthcoming social message, one first advocated by Frank's future Log Cabin roommates, Vito & Carl.
Much like Vito & Carl's overall appearance, the song was written solely to disgust radio programmers and alarm (shock - outrage?) conservative, middle-class, American parents.

Zappa had first met Franzoni in 1964, at Ben Frank's, a popular Sunset Strip coffee shop and musician/freak hangout. At the time, Frank was playing in a local band, the 'Soul Giants' (future Mothers), attempting to include a couple of his original songs into the band's Top 40 playlist.
At that time, Franzoni, had already joined with Vito, becoming the sculptor/promoter/dancer's right hand man, and had begun dancing in clubs with Vito's fledgling, freak dance troupe.
Coincidently, Franzoni had first been introduced to Vito at 'Clay Vito' back in 1963, by a young, female artist/body painter, that Carl had also met in Ben Frank's.
It would be almost two years later (Mar 9, 1966-Mar 12, 1966), when Frank & his Mothers would record Zappa's debut album, "FREAK OUT!".
No doubt another coincident, it would be exactly another two years (March, 1968), when the 'Zappa Clan' moves into The Laurel Canyon Log Cabin.

"VITO & the FREAKS" (featuring the "GTOs") were the featured dancers at Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention "Freak Out" in September,1966 at LA's Shrine Auditorium.
 

MONDO HOLLYWOOD - DVD
Robert Carl Cohen's unique documentary, in the tradition of the Italian Mondo films, examines Hollywood's cultural diversity from 1964-67, with an emphasis on celebrities, and primarily, FREAKS.
MONDO HOLLYWOOD examines a number of the bizarre, off-beat scenes happening in 60's Tinseltown, spotlighting more than a few oddball individuals in the process. Foremost among these, we find Vito, Szou, & Carl Franzoni, who are prominently featured on the DVD cover. {left}

To learn more about Vito's trusty, lusty sidekick
CARL FRANZONI - click below
    Carl Franzoni - Bio
   Franzoni Interview #1      Another Franzoni Interview  #2      Hippies

Here's some "VITO" information I came across on related websites
to help validate my claim of Vito, not Zappa, originated "Freakdom"

Subject: Don't know, but as to the phrase "Freak Out"...
The late Empower Vito was a citizen of Cotati, California, a pleasant town about 12 miles south of Santa Rosa, where I live. At nearby Sonoma State University he taught dance even into his advanced years, and that is saying something considering he suffered from painful arthritis. He was also a sculptor and artist of some renown.
If you know the names of Frank Zappa's children you might think that Frank had an influence on Vito, but it was exactly the other way 'round.
One of Vito's sons was christened Freakus Mageekus Paulekas. My stepdaughter One Marie attended high school with Vito's daughter, Groovy [Gruvi] Nipples Paulekas. You see, when she was born, her proud father looked down on her fresh tiny body and exclaimed,"Wow! Look! She has groovy nipples!"
Speaking of censorship, the Rancho Cotati High annual omitted Groovy's middle name under her graduation portrait.
Vito was a marvelous character, a splendid example of outré vivacity. He was always to be seen dancing in public at the local night spots and he would greet one and all with a smile and a wave of his hand as he passed by in the streets of Cotati, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, & Santa Rosa.
Vito Paulekas introduced the terms freak, freak out, freaking, and freaky as they are used in their modern context.   He is missed!
If you wish to look up drug slang, consult the Indiana University On-line Dictionary of Street Drug Slang or the Addictions & Life Page Drug Related Street Terms/Slang Words. If these fail, try The International Stoner Slang Dictionary. The curator there calls himself the Info Freako and he can be reached at freako@warehouse.net  Always glad to be of service.

 As you can see from the above entry, The Freak Trio  headed North after leaving Laurel Canyon.
 They continued to share their message of Peace, Love, Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll to all who were open to the concepts. {right-Vito's clay statue in Cotati park}
They landed in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco, settling in the little community of Cotati. Vito continued to introduce his communal lifestyle and artistic visions to the relatively receptive community.
 SEE: Cotati
Vito's activism resulted in the creation of a "Free Store", run by his new communal followers (again-the town's most beautiful young females -see right) and supported by proceeds from their
'freak free store fundraisers'.

{Vito & Szou onstage}
Szou would amicably split from Vito (divorced: March, 1975) to pursue a career in Law or a nursing career (and presumably drop the "Z" from her name) and raise the couple's four children.
When last contacted, Sue had left her legal position and was working as a nurse in a local hospital near Sebastopol, CA.

Vito 'danced to the end'
succumbing to a rare blood disease in Cotati, in Oct. 1992.
The town, appropriately, scheduled his memorial for the night of Oct. 31st.

{Vito & friends-Cotati,CA-1992}
{photo courtesy of Leslie Michel}

" ... and wound up in Cotati, CA, where I used to visit him.  The story of how he built the Cotati Band shell and contributed to the local music scene, taught at Sonoma State, etc. is already probably well known to most. His death from some sort of blood disease deprived us of  a most creative and outspoken soul". - Robert Carl Cohen

Carl Franzoni still lives in the region and remains true to his "FREAK" heritage.