As well as being one of the best sitcoms of all time, I Love Lucy may contain a dark and disturbing subtext about Lucy Ricardo’s backstory. The story goes that Lucy’s father is actually a murderous crime boss, from whom she estranged having been placed on the FBI’s witness protection program.
This theory suggests that her life as a New York housewife in I Love Lucy is simply a cover for her connections to organized crime (via Cracked). Whether or not you give credence to this hypothesis, it’s certainly worth exploring.
A Viral I Love Lucy Fan Theory States That Lucy Is Hiding From Her Crime Family In Witness Protection
The Theory Suggests Lucy Ricardo’s Father Is A Mafioso
It’s easy to believe that there’s nothing more to Lucy Ricardo’s life than being a homemaker who aspires to perform on the stage or screen, as the funniest I Love Lucy quotes and visual gags seem to emphasize. However, some of the show’s most intriguing subplots suggest otherwise. The complete absence of Lucy’s father from the series is particularly suspicious.
The protagonist’s mother comes up regularly, and is a recurring character in the show. But her father doesn’t even get a passing mention, suggesting that there’s something about him that needs to be hidden.
A viral theory about Lucy’s supposed mafia connections draws a link between her father’s absence and her origins in Jamestown, New York, which is a short distance from where the notorious Buffalo crime family is based. The family was at the height of its activity between the 1930s and 1960s, a time period which fits right into this I Love Lucy theory.
In addition, actor Frank Nelson plays various roles in I Love Lucy, from TV host Freddie Fillmore to Lucy’s neighbor Ralph Ramsey, while making little effort to disguise his appearance. The same face appearing again and again in different settings throughout the series makes it look as though Lucy is being followed. Indeed, she could be — by the FBI.
Perhaps Nelson’s character is really a federal agent assigned to watch over Lucy, as a condition of her participation in the FBI’s witness protection program, to keep her away from her estranged crime family. Although it may seem far-fetched at first, this theory could explain some of Lucy Ricardo’s more outlandish behavior.
Lucy’s Schemes Seem A Lot More Mafia-Like After Reading This Fan Theory
She Regularly Commits The Kind Of Crimes Befitting A Mobster
Some of Lucy’s elaborate schemes seem straight out of The Godfather’s playbook.
Let’s not forget that Lucy also fakes a kidnapping, blackmails people with recorded conversations, and hides a Tommy gun in a guitar case. These aren’t just any crimes, but the exact behavior of someone involved in the mob.
Lucy also seems to have friends in inexplicably high places, judging by how readily she’s able to carry out elaborate schemes, from getting a group of kids to pose as her children to hiring Superman for her son’s birthday party in I Love Lucy’s most famous crossover episode. The latter story seems straight out of The Godfather’s playbook.
Funnily enough, the fan theory connecting Lucy Ricardo to the mafia mirrors Desi Arnaz’s real-life run-in with the mob (via CBR). As well as playing Lucy’s husband in I Love Lucy, Arnaz was Lucille Ball’s husband in real life.
Maybe there’s something to the theory after all. Still, the majority of I Love Lucy’s fans would no doubt balk at the suggestion that the show’s iconic central character is somehow involved in organized crime.
