Editing Zeppo Marx (section)

==Personal life==
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2013}}
Zeppo introduced [[Mary Livingstone]] to [[Jack Benny]] during a [[Passover Seder|Passover seder]]; they married in 1926.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://walkoffame.com/mary-livingstone/ | title=Mary Livingstone | date=25 October 2019 }}</ref>

On April 12, 1927, Zeppo married Marion Benda (née Bimberg).<ref>Mallory Curley, ''Zeppo's Marion Benda and Valentino's Marion Benda: A Legacy of Confusion'' (Randy Press, 2016), p. 23.</ref> They adopted two children, Timothy and Thomas, in 1944 and 1945, and divorced on May 12, 1954. On September 18, 1959, Zeppo married [[Barbara Blakeley]]. He wanted to adopt and give his surname to her son Bobby Oliver, but Bobby's father would not allow it. However, Bobby did later use the last name of Marx.

Barbara, a [[Methodism|Methodist]], wrote in her book ''Lady Blue Eyes'' that Zeppo never forced her to convert to Judaism, but that he told her that she became Jewish by "injection."<ref>Sinatra, Barbara (2012). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=C7t_b7hmLRkC&q=injection Lady Blue Eyes: My Life with Frank]''. Crown Archetype. p. 64. {{ISBN|0307382346}}.</ref> Barbara also wrote that Zeppo wanted to keep her son at a distance and added a guest house separated from the main residence for him. Zeppo was reportedly pleased when the boy was sent to military school.

Zeppo owned a house on Halper Lake Drive in [[Rancho Mirage, California]], near the residence of [[Frank Sinatra]]. Along with his brothers Groucho and Harpo, Zeppo was a member of the [[Hillcrest Country Club (Los Angeles)|Hillcrest Country Club]] with friends such as Sinatra, [[George Burns]], [[Jack Benny]], [[Danny Kaye]], [[Sid Caesar]] and [[Milton Berle]].

Barbara became involved with [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] and had arranged to show ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'' (1960) for charity, selling tickets and organizing a post-screening ball. At the last minute, Barbara was told that she could not show the film, so Zeppo spoke to Sinatra, who gave them an early release of the recently completed ''[[Come Blow Your Horn (film)|Come Blow Your Horn]]''. Sinatra also flew everyone involved to [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]] for the event.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

Sinatra began to invite Barbara and Zeppo to his house two or three times per week, and often sent champagne and wine to their home. Barbara and Sinatra began a love affair without Zeppo's knowledge, and the tabloid newspapers published photos showing them together.  Barbara and Sinatra denied the affair until after she and Zeppo divorced in 1973.

In the divorce settlement, Zeppo allowed Barbara to keep a 1969 [[Jaguar car]], and agreed to pay her [[US$]]1,500 ({{Inflation|US|1500|1973|fmt=eq}}) per month for 10 years. Barbara and Frank Sinatra continued to date and were hounded by the press until her divorce became final; they married in 1976.

In 1973, 37-year old Jean Bodul, the future wife of mobster [[Jimmy Fratianno]], accused Zeppo of assaulting her; she sued and a jury awarded her $20,690 in 1978 ({{Inflation|US|20690|1978|fmt=eq}}).<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Zeppo Marx, 77, Loses In Biddy Batter Suit|date=November 29, 1978|page=2}}</ref>

Zeppo became ill with cancer in 1978. The disease went into [[Remission (medicine)|remission]] but returned. An ailing Zeppo turned to his former wife Barbara for support and she accompanied him to medical appointments and treatment sessions. He spent his last days with her family.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}