Charles Evans, born Charles Shapera in New York City on May 13, 1927,
was a successful businessman and philanthropist and the older brother
of Oscar-nominated producer
Robert Evans. After serving in the
U.S. Army during World War II, Evans returned to New York where he got
a job as a salesman in a clothing store owned by his aunt.
It was his idea that the fly front used on men's pants could also be
used on women's skirts that made him his first fortune. His father's
tailor, Joseph Picone, brought Evans idea to light and the two created
the women's clothing company Evan-Picone in 1949. The hugely successful
women's sportswear company (which brother Robert worked for in the
1950s as a salesman) was sold to Revlon in 1962, making Evans a
millionaire.
He went into the real estate business with his brother-in-law,
Michael Shure, and made another fortune.
In 1980, he and Shure were arrested for trying to buy a large amount of
cocaine for their personal use, as well as for the personal pleasure of
Robert Evans. They all pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for cocaine
possession (reduced from the original felony charge of trafficking). As
part of their sentence, Robert Evans produced a 60-second anti-drug
commercial that was financed by Charles.
Ironically, while Robert Evans in his autobiography "The Kid Stays in
the Picture" fretted that the bust would figure prominently in his
obituary, it was not mentioned in The New York Times obituary of
Charles, who died on June 2, 2007 at the age of 81 from pneumonia. The
obituary did mention his producing the hit movie
Tootsie (1982) and his philanthropic
work, such as donating a great deal of money to research into
Alzheimer's disease, which his father had suffered from. It also
mentioned that Charles Evans served as national director of the
Alzheimer's Association.
