Louis John Gardella

Louis J Gardella was the son of Joseph Gardella, who owned a tallow works, and Carlotta Gardella, both Italian immigrants. Louis Gardella was a construction company executive, then head of the machinery construction division of the War Production Board.[1][2] Later Gardella worked as an assistant to Republic Pictures president Herbert J. Yates. Gardella married former child actress June King in Las Vegas, 1938; later he told her the ceremony was illegal. June King sued for damages and reached a settlement with Gardella.[3]

Gardella married Lynne Roberts, December 16, 1944, in Salome, Arizona,[4] two days after she divorced her first husband, William Engelbert Jr. One day, Gardella brought Roberts' 4-year-old son, Billy, to the Republic lot to watch Lynne in one of her biggest scenes in a new Gene Autry picture, Sioux City Sue. Billy surveyed the scene in silence for a few moments, then asked: "Where's Gene Autry?" On being informed that the Singing Cowboy was not working in this particular scene, Lynne's son turned to Gardella in disgust and said. "Let's go home, Daddy."[5]

Roberts and Gardella separated in 1949 but were reconciled.[6] In 1951, the marriage ended in divorce. In court, Gardella's attorney argued that the couple's Arizona wedding was invalid because Roberts was not legally divorced from William Engelbert Jr., although Roberts claimed she had a Mexican divorce decree.[7]

After leaving Republic Pictures, Gardella worked for Hughes Aircraft. He died in Los Angeles and is buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, San Mateo, California.[8]