ett . ▁ ▁Marx ' s ▁family ▁was ▁Jewish . ▁His ▁mother ▁was ▁M iene ▁" M inn ie " ▁Sch o enberg , ▁whose ▁family ▁came ▁from ▁D orn um ▁in ▁northern ▁Germany ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁old . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁Simon ▁" Sam " ▁Marx , ▁who ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁from ▁Mar rix , ▁and ▁was ▁called ▁" F rench ie " ▁by ▁his ▁sons ▁throughout ▁his ▁life , ▁because ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁came ▁from ▁Als ace ▁in ▁France . ▁Minn ie ' s ▁brother ▁was ▁Al ▁Sch o enberg , ▁who ▁short ened ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁Al ▁She an ▁when ▁he ▁went ▁into ▁show ▁business ▁as ▁half ▁of ▁Gall ag her ▁and ▁She an , ▁a ▁noted ▁v au dev ille ▁act ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁According ▁to ▁Marx , ▁when ▁She an ▁visited , ▁he ▁would ▁throw ▁the ▁local ▁wa ifs ▁a ▁few ▁co ins ▁so ▁that ▁when ▁he ▁knock ed ▁at ▁the ▁door ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁surrounded ▁by ▁ad oring ▁fans . ▁Marx ▁and ▁his ▁brothers ▁respect ed ▁his ▁opinions ▁and ▁asked ▁him ▁on ▁several ▁occasions ▁to ▁write ▁some ▁material ▁for ▁them . ▁ ▁Minn ie ▁Marx ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁an ▁entertain ment ▁industry ▁career ▁but ▁had ▁inten se ▁amb ition ▁for ▁her ▁sons ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁the ▁stage ▁like ▁their ▁uncle . ▁While ▁pushing ▁her ▁el dest ▁son ▁Leonard ▁( Ch ico ▁Marx ) ▁in ▁piano ▁less ons , ▁she ▁found ▁that ▁Julius ▁had ▁a ▁pleasant ▁sop