Ace Aceto making second run at Leukemia/Lymphoma Man of the Year

Pam Schiff
Posted 3/4/15

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

That is the motto of Ace Aceto as he makes his run for the Lukemia/Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Rhode Island Man of the Year.

In his first attempt …

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Ace Aceto making second run at Leukemia/Lymphoma Man of the Year

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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

That is the motto of Ace Aceto as he makes his run for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Rhode Island Man of the Year.

In his first attempt last year, he came in third out of eight other men. “I was thrilled with what my team did last year. We raised $20,000 in just 10 weeks,” he said.

Aceto harbors no hard feelings toward the other candidates, as they raised almost $120,000 between them.

“Essentially, it’s a 10-week fundraising campaign,” he said. “You build a campaign team to help you with your efforts. LLS provides candidates with suggested ways of fundraising, but you’re free to raise funds however you like. Every dollar you raise during the campaign is equal to one vote. The person with the most votes is named Man or Woman of the Year. The men compete against each other and the women compete against each other. My team last year held a few smaller fundraisers like a hot dog eating contest, a dodgeball tournament and a wine tasting, but this year, again, our big event is the comedy show at the Park Theatre here in Cranston.”

Aceto has spent most of his adult life working in the health field in one capacity or another. He was an EMT for 10 years in North Providence, worked as a pharmacy tech for CVS and is currently employed by GlaxoSmithKline as a public health accounts manager in the vaccine division.

His relationship with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is truly an “only in Rhode Island” story.

“I went to [Rhode Island College] with Carla Mulhern, who is the Man/Woman of the Year campaign manager,” he said. “A few years ago, before joining LLS, she was nominated herself for Woman of the Year. One of her fundraising events was a comedy show and I was one of the performers on it.”

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung is also a former classmate of Aceto’s.

“In 1997, I did a fundraiser show for a young girl with leukemia from Johnston named Katie Macari,” Aceto said. “A few months later, while working at the Rhode Island Hospital ER, I saw a young girl get brought in, in her prom dress. Unfortunately it was Katie, and she had gotten sick at her prom. She fought so hard for a few weeks, but eventually passed away. A year hasn’t gone by that I haven’t thought about Katie. Since then, due in part to the research effort of LLS, new medications have been developed to decrease the mortality rates of certain types of leukemia.”

The LLS also has a Boy and Girl of the Year. These are children who are currently in remission from a blood disease or cancer.

Fifteen-year old Emma Katzen from Barrington is Girl of the Year, and K.J. Ricci from North Providence is Boy of the Year.

“I was in Boy Scouts with K.J.’s uncle and his dad, Kevin, was a former comic,” Aceto said. “This just proves what a small world we live in.”

Another factor that drew Aceto to the LLC is the amount of money raised that actually goes into research, support for families and education. Gleevec is a drug that interferes with the growth of some cancer cells, helping patients to stay in remission as part of their daily maintenance. This drug was developed with funds raised by the LLS.

“For year 2014, the LLS spent 75.5 percent of their expenses in the areas of research, patient and community service, public and professional education. Management and general, as well as fundraising, costs were 24.5 percent. I would say those are amazing numbers,” Aceto said.

This is a very time-consuming undertaking, and Aceto does not take the challenge lightly.

“It’s like having another full-time job. This time, my team and I had more time to plan our events, and my team has grown from my four friends – ‘Team of Jokers’ – last year to over 14 people helping me now,” he said.

Aceto is amazed and humbled by the people he has met through this experience. One woman who is a cancer survivor has attended several events held last year, and this year approached him about helping to organize an event where she shoots pool.

“Now we are having a pool tournament on May 22 at Underground Billiards,” he said. “April 4 is a fitness challenge at Unleashed in Warwick. April 16 is a beer tasting at Brutopia in Cranston, and scheduled to appear are Ty Law and James Develin from the New England Patriots. April 18 is a dodgeball tournament at Teamworks in Warwick, and on April 19 there is a wiener eating challenge at Olneyville wieners in Cranston.”

Aceto is focusing on his big comedy show at the Park Theatre on Thursday, March 19.

The whole show is a fundraiser. Aceto has been fortunate enough to have some companies come through as sponsors, which will allow him to donate all proceeds to LLS.

“I am so grateful to Ocean State Urgent Care for being the presenting sponsor and Bananagrams and Balise Toyota for stepping up as gold sponsors. This allows me to run the show as a fundraiser and not have to worry about any of the expenses tied in with the show,” he said.

Aceto carefully crafted the lineup of performers for the show to make sure people will be getting the most bang for their buck. 

The dealer is Charlie Hall, founder of the Ocean State Follies and the man who gave Aceto his comedy start 25 years ago. The Joker is “Rockin’” Joe Hebert, founder of the Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Fame and a comedian for almost 30 years. 

Cranston native Mary Ellen Depetrillo-Rinaldi is the Wild Card. She’s one of the first comics Aceto worked with, and she’s like his older sister. The Jack is another Cranston boy, John Perrotta, who has been doing stand up since 1991 and is known as the “Don Rickles of Rhode Island.” The Queen is Kerri Louise, a finalist in the TV show “Last Comic Standing,” and a national performer on TV and the Internet. The King of the show is Rhode Island’s own Tom Cotter. Cotter took second place in “America’s Got Talent” in season seven, has appeared internationally at clubs around the world, and happens to be married to Kerri Louise. Appropriately enough, Aceto is the “Ace” of the show, not only a master of impersonations, but the “good Catholic boy.” Aceto is being inducted into the Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Fame in May.

The Rhode Island comedy community is a close-knit group of people. And when the call for help goes up, they come out in droves to help their brothers and sisters.

“My nephew was diagnosed with leukemia when he was two years old, and it rocked our entire family. That toddler waged an epic battle and although the treatments beat him up, he conquered it, and he just graduated from college in 2014. So this isn’t just a good cause, it’s a spectacular cause that I have a personal vested interest in,” Cotter said. “When Ace asked Kerri and I to perform at the benefit, it was a no-brainer, which is ironic because I am brainless. We have been friends with Ace for decades, even if it was for a cause that I didn’t care about … I’d still show up for Ace. We are honored to be sharing the stage with Ace, Charlie, Joe, Maryellen, John, etc. … It’s nice to be in a lineup that doesn’t involve a two-way mirror.  We’re looking forward to a fun night amongst old friends and proving that laughter really is the best medicine.”

Joe Hebert, a close comedy friend of Aceto’s for years, also dealt with family members suffering from cancer.

“My mom passed away from breast cancer. I know what it’s like to watch someone you love suffer and be helpless. I hate that feeling, and I want to do whatever I can to prevent anyone else from going through that,” he said.

Aceto credits his wife Jen and their three children – 11-year-old Samantha, 10-year-old Michael and seven-year-old Madison –with being able to do any of this.

“They are so supportive, and allow me the time to help other people. I look at my family and my three healthy kids and know in my heart I have to help. Every day is a blessing. Seeing what these kids and their families go through, knowing people personally who have been affected, I feel strongly that I have to help as much as I can,” Aceto said.

The Royal Flush Comedy Show will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. Tickets are $35 or $50 for VIP, which includes a meet-and-greet with the comics and an after party at the 848 Lounge. Tickets are available by calling the Park Theatre Box Office at 401-467-7275 or online at www.parktheatreri.com.

The Park Theatre is located at 848 Park Ave. in Cranston. Free parking is available.

For more information on the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, visit www.lls.org.

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