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Photographs
And Memories

A story of love,

music and conversion.

teve Angelucci, interviewed
here, is Jim Croce's cousin
and the author of the upcom-
ing "Time In A Bottle, The Jim Croce
Story." The two were close friends
all their lives, with Croce calling
Angelucci his "biographer." A writer
and actor who has appeared in The
Long Kiss Goodnight and Fallen,
among others, Angelucci also is
nationally certified in therapeutic
massage and bodywork and has
worked extensively in the holistic
health field in New Jersey.

How were you related to the
late Jim Croce?
Jim was my first cousin on his
father's side. My mother% maiden
name was Croce, and she and
Jim's father were sister and brother.
We also were related on his mom's
side. Jim's grandmothers were
cousins, which meant that his par-
ents were second cousins, so we
were third cousins on his mother's
side. Yes, we were related!
Were you two close as children?
How far apart did you live from
one another, and what can you
tell us about Jim Croce as a boy?
We were very close as children
and lived about one block from
each other in the same neighbor-
hood. Jim was like a big brother
and used to walk me to elementary
school. It was his job to get me
there when I didn't want to go. We
were born in south Philadelphia and
moved as children to Upper Darby,
an urban suburb bordering on

2/26
1999

70 Detroit Jewish News

Philadelphia. Jim was about 4 years
old and I was about 6 months. Our
families vacationed together each
year at the Jersey shore. Several
Croce relatives lived in the same
neighborhood. Jim was a bright and
inquisitive child, always questioning
things much to his parents' dismay.
Did Jim come from a traditional
Italian-Catholic family?
The family was traditional Italian-
Catholic — about as traditional or
orthodox as could be.
How did Jim meet his wife?
Jim was a shy youth and did not
date in high school. While in col-
lege he met his first love, Ingrid
Jacobson. On Dec. 23, 1963, Jim
and Tom Picardo sang on a folk-
music radio program; Jim also was
a judge in a folk-music contest that
evening. It was a snowy night, but
that did not stop their upcoming per-
formance at the Philadelphia Con-
vention Hall. The winners would per-
form in the "Giant Hootenanny."
Ingrid was part of the competition
as a member of The Rumrunners, a
group from Pennsylvania Military
College that sang show tunes. The
Rumrunners sang three songs and
passed the audition. Though only
16 and a fledgling performer,
Ingrid impressed Jim, who was
almost 21 and a Villanova junior.
There was an instant attraction.
Jim and Ingrid saw each other
again on Jan. 25, 1964, at the
show. They felt a strong infatuation,
which led to a sexual relationship
that Ingrid, in her cookbook Thyme

Inset: Steve Angelucci

misses a good friend.

Right: Jim Croce
enjoyed seders,
but sent Christmas

cards.

in a Bottle: Memories and Recipes,

called "our 'lust."
How did Jim's family feel about
the fact that Ingrid was Jewish?
While the Croces never expressed
negative feelings toward any ethnic
or religious group, they were ethno-
centric and devout. They wanted Jim
to marry an Italian-Catholic woman.
During a time when Jim and Ingrid
had broken up, he dated a Quaker.
Jim's parents were quite upset.
When Jim and Ingrid reunited,
there were no celebrations on the
home front. While the Croces liked
Ingrid and her family, their religion
presented problems. Likewise, the
Jacobsons did not relish the idea of
their daughter marrying a gentile.
In a way, Jim paved the way for
me, as a few years later I married
a woman who also had a Jewish
background, Jan Schindler.
Why did Jim decide to convert
to Judaism?
Jim realized the problems inherent
in the mixed religious relationship
and the opposition of the families.
He studied Judaism under Rabbi
Kaplan, converted, and married in
a traditional Jewish ceremony. His
parents were devastated and did

not attend the wedding. In fact,
other than his brother, Rich, Jim invit-
ed no family or close friends.
After his conversion, did Jim
practice Judaism? What were his
feelings about the Christianity he
left behind?
Jim rarely spoke about his conver-
sion, even to his closest friends. He
was an enigma: a non-practicing
convert who was generally anti
organized religion. He fell in love
with a Jewish woman, converted,
married and became non-practic-
ing. While he rarely discussed reli-
gion, Jim did have a few choice
words for the mohel and his part in
the conversion (Jim's sense of humor
was sardonic.) He seemed to
bridge both worlds. He attended
the Jacobsons' seders, but argued
on the home front to put up Christ-
mas decorations. He respected the
intellectual tradition of Judaism, yet
sent a friend a Christmas card with
an original poem about Christ and
an illustration of Mary and Joseph
traveling to Bethlehem. I I
Editor's Note: You'll find more than 30
Web sites devoted to Jim Croce. A good
place to start is

www.timeinabottle.com

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