Jerry Esposito Jr.

Jerry Esposito Jr., (1943-), his theatrical career began as an IATSE 44 Studio carpenter, becoming a carpenter foreman, eventually becoming a construction coordinator. In 1980, Esposito became Paul Wurtzel's, (1920-1991), assistant with Lorimar (Television-Film) Production Services Division, located on the MGM-Culver City Studio Lot, when Lorimar moved from Burbank; The Burbank Studios original Lorimar operation base, (Warner Brothers-Columbia Studios). Edward "Eddie" O. Denault assembled a production service team with Richard "Dick" Hammond as Lorimar's Supervising Art Director (art department manager). Paul Wurtzel was the Lorimar Construction department supervisor, with Jerry Esposito acting as Wurtzel's assistant manager. Esposito supervised all of Lorimar's television production series projects (Knot's Landing, Dallas, Love Connection, Two Marriages, and mini series - A Death in California, MOW - Desperate Lives); supervising construction foreman, carpenters, labor, paint, sign shop and studio-set grips. The Lorimar Production Department took over the original MGM Art Department second floor office facility, with Dick Hammond's office having been MGM's famous art director Cedric Gibbons' executive throne room, the outer reception office area designated as the Construction division. The team included Pierre Bouvet who was in charge of Lorimar's set decorating, sign shop, property division, and property crews. Pierre Bouvet staffed Property Masters, decorating crews, and maintained the Lorimar Property Department and Lorimar Drapery. After Lorimar's production declined, Esposito became a free-lance construction coordinator, moving to Universal-MCA production division. Production Designer Hub Braden had worked with Jerry Esposito on Lorimar MOW and TV pilot projects, requesting Jerry to join him as his production construction coordinator on MOW projects he was involved with. When Jerry was employed at Paramount Studios, coordinating the 1983 NBC TV series, (featuring a live orangutan as the star), "Mr. Smith", after the pilot's Production Designer Gene Callahan departed, Jerry requested Braden to take over the television series art direction duties. "Mr. Smith" was produced by Ed Weinberger, who required Braden and Esposito to meet with him, in his office, every night at 7 pm to discuss the next day's production requirements. Braden and Esposito concluded you had to be either "mad" and "crazy" to work with Ed Weinberger.