Amos Jacobs was a man of 26 years. He was a comedienne in Detroit for about four years when he decided to go to Chicago. He wanted to get a job in a nightclub (formerly a garage) as a comedienne. The funny thing about this garage was that it was a famous garage known to about every Chicagoan in the USA. It was the site of the Valentine’s Day Massacre. They installed a bar, put in several tables and built a floor for dancing, together with spots for the entertainment part of the show. His name, Amos Jacobs, had to be changed because it didn’t seem appropriate for the kind of audience the show was catering to. This comedienne took the name of Thomas as a last name because he saw the name of a product …Thomas English Muffins. The first name of Danny was taken from the name of a used car dealer around the corner.

He always told people that he worked in a garage for the first twelve years in the nightclub which is only half true. The nightclub where he worked was the scene of the infamous car garage where the St. Valentine’s Day massacre took place and they made a nightclub out of it.

He was so successful as a comedian, the Copa Cabana in New York hired him, where he began his film career and his first role was that of a rabbi in the Universal Studios Lot where “Make Room For Daddy” was conceived. He bought the rights to it and made a fortune. His net worth when he died (02/06/91) was in excess of 100 million dollars. He donated 17 million for St. Jude Hospital in Tennessee, which is still in operation today. Danny Thomas’ home in Beverly Hills was called Vatican West by the stars that knew him. His home held several monuments of the Vatican and he was given the Papal Knighthood of St. Gregory and the Holy Sepulcher.

His daughter, Marlow, is the wife of Phil Donahue and she eventually became the Director of St. Jude Hospital and she still holds that title today. His career in television covers the entire media of entertainment and his series is still running today.