THE BALLOON MAN

BILL PRICKETT VISITS

THE JOE FRISCO FAMILY

Carol (73) and Joe (78) Frisco
I met Joe Frisco, Sr, in the summer of 1962, when he came to Glen Oak Zoo, Peoria, Il, as the animal trainer.
One of the favorite acts was Donna the elephant. Joe also presented mixed cat act with seven animals, and a chimp act.
The Zoo later added a petting Zoo with farm animals. Joe was at the Glen Oak Zoo for seventeen years, leaving in 1979. Upon leaving, Joe acquired the seven cats and Donna,
the elephant. For the next 30 plus years, with his sons Joe,Jr, Tim, and Terry, they worked fairs, festivals, and circus fill-in spot dates,with the cat act , the four elephants, and a petting Zoo. Joe,sr, is now retired, but still drives the 53' long rig for the traveling Petting Zoo.

Joe and cat act, Glen Oak Zoo about 1974
The elephants were Donna (deceased), Gina (now in Memphis Zoo breeding program in 2009), Joyce (Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and now in a park in New Jersey), and Dumbo - June 2011, to a Zoo to be announced later.
Several years after coming to Peoria, Il, Carol and Joe purchased acerage outside of Peoria, near Dunlap, Il., where they have resided for the past 43 years..

Donna and Joe at the Hotel Pere Marquette in downtown Peoria, Il, about 1964.

Joe and Donna at Glen Oak Zoo about 1963.

Joe, Jr, his son Joey, (Joe #3), and Lucas (Joe #4 - age 4 yrs) are in Peoria,Il., with RBBB, blue unit, 9-23/9-25, where they handle the herd of 10 elephants.
Son Tim manages the elephant breeding program for Carson & Barnes circus outside Hugo, OK area., and works spot dates with these elephants. Son Terry still presents the cat act, with daughter Felicia, and is currently preparing to open at the "Big E" in Mass.
Story continued in Part 2, next week.