Of all the gay rumors I heard about Scott Baio, the most outrageous was the alleged three-way he had with his cousin Jimmy Baio and older actor Ricardo Montalban. I heard several different versions from several guys, but it all boils down to three basic plots:
Story 1:
It was 1977, and 17 year old Scott has just finished Blansky's Beauties, while 15 year old Jimmy had just finished with The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training.
Scott's father, a canny stage dad who knew his way around strategic casting couches, arranged an introduction to the dapper Mexican-born Ricardo Montalban, age 56, then filming the first episodes of the Saturday-night old-person's favorite Fantasy Island (1977-84).
[Details too explicit for Boomer Beefcake and Bonding]
It was 1980, and Scott, age 20, was playing Fonzie's cousin Chachi on Happy Days, while Jimmy, age 18, was a bigger star, playing Billy Tate on Soap.
59-year old Montalban, who was filming Fantasy Island at ABC's Burbank studio, was a fan of Soap, and sometimes came to watch rehearsals. He and Jimmy, who was gay but closeted, soon began a romantic relationship.
When Scott heard about Montalban's proficiency in bed and enormous penis, he begged Jimmy to let him watch. Montalban agreed.
[Details too explicit for Boomer Beefcake and Bonding]
It was 1984, and Scott, age 24, was starring in Charles in Charge, while Jimmy, age 22, was scrounging around for tv guest spots after the cancellation of Soap.
Jimmy often went to the cruising area in Griffith Park, and one day he saw the 63-year old Montalban there. They had met several times, but neither knew the other was gay.
They went back to Montalban's house on Oriole Street in the Hollywood Hills.
[Details...well, you get the idea. The full stories, with nude photos and explicit sexual situations, are on Tales of West Hollywood.]