# Who are our current "Abe Vigodas"? (people you might be surprised to learn are still alive) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [September 7, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985 "2020-09-07T01:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/381 "2023-09-24T23:08:56Z")
I was surprised today to learn that Peter Schikele, the man who is the read PDQ Bach, is still alive. > **[Peter Schickele](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Schickele)** > > "Professor" Peter Schickele (/ˈʃɪkəli/; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted a long-running weekly radio program called Schickele Mix. > From 1990 to 1993, Schickele's P. D. Q. Bach recordings earned him four consecutive wins for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. > Schickele was born in Ames, Iowa, United States, to ... ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/382 "2023-09-25T04:41:58Z")
In his book Ball Four, Jim Bouten says Mays was among many players using amphetamines for performance enhancement. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/383 "2023-09-25T04:51:08Z")
Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/384 "2023-09-25T06:32:01Z")
This one caught me off guard entirely. That really old guy that testified before the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973, [Alexander Butterfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Butterfield), is 97 years old. He revealed the existence of the audio taping system in the Oval office and the White House phone system. Ok, he was just 47 when he testified and there’s the thing about people looked older back then and I was really young then, but most everybody but John Dean involved in that major event is dead and Dean was only 35 at the time of the hearings. And thank you Mr. Butterfield for your service to this country, and congratulations on your long life. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/385 "2023-09-25T16:30:25Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > but most everybody but John Dean involved in that major event is dead Out of somewhat morbid curiosity, I did a quick Google search for anybody still living. Donald Segretti, one of the orchestrators of the dirty tricks, is still alive, age 82. Carl Bernstein, age 79, and Bob Woodward, age 80, are both still living and writing. That’s all I found via my quick search. There may be others. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/386 "2023-09-25T17:05:43Z")
Janis Paige (actress, 101) Jane Morgan (singer, 99) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/387 "2023-09-25T17:57:11Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Donald Segretti, one of the orchestrators of the dirty tricks, is still alive, age 82. > > Carl Bernstein, age 79, and Bob Woodward, age 80, are both still living and writing. Segretti was pretty young at the time also. I left out Woodward and Bernstein since they weren’t White House side of things. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/388 "2023-09-26T03:37:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > most everybody but John Dean involved in that major event is dead and Dean was only 35 at the time of the hearings. Judy Hoback Miller is still alive at 86. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/389 "2023-09-26T14:59:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Judy Hoback Miller is still alive at 86. Had to look that one up. Never would have remembered her by name. Not sure if I remember from the time of the scandal or only later on. She was one of the younger generation on staff at the time. Butterfield was not as old then as I thought at the time but he was in the age frame of others at the top of the conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/390 "2023-09-26T17:44:48Z")
My understanding is that Bernstein and Woodward had two main informants; Judy Hoback and Mark Felt. Felt aka Deep Throat was the one who became famous, ironically because of the mystery around his identity. Hoback faded into obscurity. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/391 "2023-09-26T17:49:27Z")
This thread is the first I’ve heard of Judy Hoback. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/392 "2023-09-26T18:02:48Z")
Hoback was the bookkeeper for Nixon’s re-election campaign, which was the organization that funded the various illegal activities of Watergate. So when Deep Throat told Bernstein and Woodward to “follow the money” to determine who was committing crimes, Hoback was the one who knew where the money was going. She was [Jane Alexander’s character](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0ttQ8Dn7LM) in _All the President’s Men_ but they didn’t identify her by name in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/393 "2023-09-26T18:24:18Z")
OK. I may need to rewatch the movie. (BTW, who was it in the movie who told them, “I can’t deal with this; my wife’s been kidnapped.” What was the story there?) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/394 "2023-09-26T19:52:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > My understanding is that Bernstein and Woodward had two main informants; Judy Hoback and Mark Felt. Felt aka Deep Throat was the one who became famous, ironically because of the mystery around his identity. Hoback faded into obscurity. And in the wonderful circle of life in the Watergate era, Alexander Butterfield had correctly guessed the identity of Deep Throat before it was publicly revealed. He stated that he believed it was Mark Felt in a 1995 newspaper account. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/395 "2023-09-29T03:55:53Z")
I was going to say Jimmy Carter, but he’s already been mentioned… in 2020 and 2022 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/396 "2023-10-05T01:49:11Z")
(In a nod to Abe himself) Dino Natali, known for playing the gay 12th Precinct Officer Zatalli on several episodes of _Barney Miller_, is working through his tenth decade. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/397 "2023-10-05T02:45:26Z")
For that matter, Hal Linden, who played Barney Miller, is also in his tenth decade and still making movies. Barbara Barrie, who played his wife, is also still alive and working. Wouldn’t it be great if they made a new television series about Barney and his wife in retirement? Maybe they could have Barney, despite being retired from his job in the police, still occasionally working as a private detective. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/398 "2023-10-05T03:00:51Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Hal Linden, who played Barney Miller, is also in his tenth decade and still making movies. Barbara Barrie, who played his wife, is also still alive and working. I just did a quick lookup on the cast. Max Gail (Wojciehowicz) is the only other regular still living. Gail is 80. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/399 "2023-10-05T03:15:20Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Gail is 80. And still occasionally working. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/400 "2023-10-05T04:02:31Z")
Here’s a weird coincidence. _High Anxiety_ was made in 1977. The four men who wrote the screenplay - Mel Brooks, Ron Clark, Rudy De Luca, and Barry Levinson - are all alive. All of them also appeared in the movie. All of the other cast members, who didn’t have a hand in the script, have died. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985.md?page=21)