DiCicco is alleged to have been involved in an altercation with comedian
Ted Healy just before the latter's death in 1937. A source alleged that actor
Wallace Beery, producer
Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and DiCicco beat Healy so badly that he fell into a coma and died. While there is no documentation in contemporaneous news reports that either Beery or DiCicco was present, Broccoli admitted that he was indeed involved in a fist fight with Healy at the Trocadero. He later modified his story, stating that a heavily intoxicated Healy had picked a fight with him, the two had briefly scuffled, then shook hands and parted ways. In other reports, Broccoli admitted to pushing Healy, but not striking him. It is also possible the investigation and subsequent newspaper coverage were influenced by the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio "fixers"
Eddie Mannix and
Howard Strickling (Mannix would later run the studio) because Wallace Beery was one of MGM's highest paid actors. Beery took a long vacation in Europe after the altercation until the story died down. There is disagreement over whether Healy died as a result of the brawl or due to his well-known alcoholism. Because of the authorities' lack of interest in investigating Healy's death, an autopsy was not performed until after Healy's corpse had been embalmed, rendering the examiner's note that Healy's organs were "soaked in alcohol" useless in determining a cause of death. Following the autopsy, the Los Angeles county coroner reported that Healy died of acute toxic
nephritis secondary to acute and chronic alcoholism. Police closed their investigation. There was no indication in the report that his death was caused by physical assault. ==References==