Columbia's most famous New Yorker Freddie DeMarco leaves behind comedy legacy

Two fraternity brothers walked into the old Columbia Tribune building in 1975.

They had the idea to turn it into a bar — so they did.

They called it Déjà Vu and hired their fraternity brother Thomas Baker as its first DJ. Since running a bar takes money, they procured some investors: best friends Richard “Jugger” Donnelly and Freddie DeMarco.

But fraternity guys don’t necessarily make the best bar business owners, so DeMarco decided to move to Columbia and manage the bar directly to avoid losing his investment. As it turned out, he had a knack for the bar business.

His team transformed the old newsroom into a DJ booth, and under DeMarco’s leadership, spent the next three decades curating “one of the best bars in the history of Columbia, Missouri,” according to his obituary. Those local to Columbia and Mizzou alumni recall late nights, live shows, dances, laughter and Long Island iced teas from the 80s and 90s at The Vu.

DeMarco turned The Vu’s upstairs game room into a comedy show space, which many now-famous comedians remember as an early stop on their way to stand-up notoriety. Some notable acts include Kathleen Madigan, Darrell Hammond, Rahn Ramey, Zack & Mack, Tim Allen, and Tom Rhodes, who sent postcards to DeMarco for most of his life.

The great philosopher from Eastchester

Originally born in Eastchester, New York, DeMarco’s New Yorker accent earned him the nickname ‘Don Freddie’ among his staff. Baker said DeMarco was “just hilarious and fun-loving.” The two “hit it off” and quickly became good friends and, later, business partners.

“Fred treated me like a brother,” Baker recalled. “We’d spend a lot of time in the office and tell jokes. (DeMarco) made having business fun.”

After DeMarco sold The Vu in 2004, he continued to invest in and open businesses in the community while mentoring young comedians.

Former Mizzou All-American wrestler Greg Warren, now better known for his successful stand-up comedy career, won an amateur comedy contest sponsored by The Vu in the 90s after his teammate signed him up to compete.

Warren met DeMarco that night, beginning a decades-long mentorship and friendship. In 2001, Warren quit his job at Procter & Gamble, where he sold Jif and Pringles, to pursue stand-up comedy full time.

Warren told the Missourian, “his name was like gold” in the comedy industry. Simply by knowing DeMarco, Warren was able to connect with booking agents and perform stand-up gigs across the nation.

“So many people knew Fred,” Warren said. “So many people smiled when you brought up his name.”

When Warren was invited to the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, he brought DeMarco as his de facto manager. After the festival, DeMarco called to tell him he had received a credit to appear on Comedy Central.

From there, Warren’s career caught traction. While DeMarco didn’t remain his manager, he continued to attend nearly all of Warren’s live show tapings for comedy specials and remained one of his biggest cheerleaders.

“He used to make fun of me all the time,” Warren said. “He would introduce me to people as an Academic-All American because he knew it implied I wasn’t a real All-American (Collegiate Athlete).”

“He’d go, ‘Ahhh, Greg, I’m just busting your balls!’” Warren said, slipping into a gruff New York accent to do his best DeMarco impression.

But when Warren needed it most, DeMarco was always encouraging.

“There were times when I was doing really well and times when it was like, ‘Eh, I don’t know if this thing’s gonna go,’” Warren said. “And those were the times when he wouldn’t bust my balls at all. He wouldn’t make fun of me, he’d be like, ‘Hey Greg, you’re doing great, man. I’m proud of you, and you’re doing well.’”

“It was rarely serious with him, but every now and then it was, and when it was, it meant a lot to me,” Warren added.

Warren often returned to perform at Déjà Vu or to visit DeMarco, with whom he remained close friends for the rest of his life.

Closing time

In its prime, patrons would flock to The Vu to see shows and have a good laugh before heading downstairs to dance some more.

Drinks flowed on quarter Michelob nights; students and locals saw shows and signed up for open mic events, and DeMarco’s investment-turned-venture eventually became a staple in the Columbia nightlife and comedy scenes.

“Friday nights before the game, with Marching Mizzou in the bar and comedy upstairs, (it) felt like the funnest place in the world,” Warren said in a Facebook tribute to DeMarco on Jan. 4.

At The Vu’s closing time, per DeMarco’s request, Frank Sinatra’s “Theme From New York, New York” would play as the lights flipped on and patrons filed out into the night.

“The last few years have been tough for Fred,” he wrote. “His body was giving out. His mind was always there. He still loved telling stories. He still loved hearing about the comedy business.”

“In closing,” his obituary reads, “never forget the words of the great philosopher from Eastchester, New York, ‘Who loves ya, baby?!’ Oh, Freddie, we all do. We all do.”