The pair entertained at the White House in May of the same year. Rossi and White also performed their act aboard a National Overseas Airlines flight from Chicago to Spain. The airline had hoped that providing live entertainment on their flights would boost ticket sales. Later in life, he performed under his given name on his friend Redd Foxx's TV show Sanford and Son as Fred's friend, also named Melvin, and had a million dollar contract to perform at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1973. In 1986 Milton Berle planned to introduce a new situation comedy called Moscow & Vine, with White as his co-star on the show. White's role was to be that of Berle's old vaudeville partner and as an employee in the music store owned by Berle's character. At one time, Berle hoped to syndicate the program. White was best known in later years for the Friars' Club roasts, where he routinely appeared along with other comedians, including Milton Berle, Jackie Vernon, Pat Buttram and Dick Shawn. White enjoyed a minor renaissance after his death owing to bootleg recordings of Friars' Club roasts that became available through comedy record outlets. His name was used on an episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Money", in which Seinfeld uses "Slappy White" as his own name. Death White died of a heart attack at his home in Brigantine, New Jersey, just 38 days after the death of his long-time friend George Kirby. At the time of his death, White was preparing to retire from acting and was in the process of moving from Los Angeles to New Jersey. He had no children from either of his marriages. Partial filmography 1970 The Man from O.R.G.Y. 1972 Sanford and Son, as an old friend of Fred's named Melvin 1974 Amazing Grace 1981 White and Reno 1986 Playboy Comedy Roast for Tommy Chong 1987 Amazon Women on the Moon 1992 Mr. Saturday Night, cameo part in the New York Friars' Club scene References External links 1921 births 1995 deaths American male comedians African-American male comedians African-American male actors Male actors from Baltimore People from Brigantine, New Jersey 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American comedians 20th-century African-American people