Publicity photo from "The Hustler"

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Jackie Gleason

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How big a tipper was Jackie?

Robert Waldman
(From The New York City Cab Driver's Best Joke Book Ever! by Jim Pietsch): "Very late one night, I picked up a man outside the Plaza Hotel. When I asked him what kind of work he did, he told me he was a bartender there. He told me that one night, Jackie Gleason had come into the hotel bar with a number of friends. Mr. Gleason said to this bartender, 'So tell me, what's the biggest tip you ever got?'
The bartender replied, 'A hundred dollars, Mr. Gleason.'
'Well, tonight,' Jackie said, 'I'm going to give you a hundred and fifty.'
Many hours later, when Gleason was settling up his bill, he walked over to the bartender, and true to his word, gave him a $150 tip.
'So tell me,' Jackie said, 'who was it who gave you the hundred dollar tip?'
The bartender replied, 'It was you, Mr. Gleason.'
Jackie just threw his head back and laughed."
John Kolodziej
He was a very generous tipper.
James Willis
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