Paul ‘Krazy Tyrone’ Krohn of Highland Beach
honed his entertainment skills as a tummler
at various resorts in the Catskills.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Every entertainer has a heyday — and for Highland Beach resident Paul Krohn, it was the 20-plus years he worked at borscht belt hotels. Krohn was a “tummler,” one of those in-house jesters whose job it was to keep guests at New York’s famous Catskill Mountains resorts amused.
His repertoire included jump-rope tricks, off-color jokes, playing harmonica with his right nostril, dazzling guests with trivia, leading groups on rounds of Simon Says and beating everyone at pingpong using household objects as a paddle.
At age 25, Krohn was hired at Grossinger’s. He was mentored by Lou Goldstein, the acknowledged master of the Simon Says game.
When Grossinger’s closed five years later, Krohn took his tummler skills to Kutsher’s Country Club, where he lived and worked for two decades. Guests would return year after year to see his schtick. He was known as Krazy Tyrone.
During those Krazy days, The New York Times described Krohn as “a startlingly flamboyant man who moves like Pee-wee Herman on amphetamines.” His natural athleticism (he’d been a tennis star in college and later won amateur tournaments) and near-photographic memory came in handy on the job.
“I have a great ability to remember names and faces,” says Krohn, now 58, “along with historical events and numbers. I’m not a true idiot savant when it comes to numbers, but I still remember all my friend’s telephone numbers from childhood.”
When the Catskills resorts died out and Krohn was left without a job, he rented a cabin in the woods and lived on the money he could earn from gigs in New York City — bar mitzvahs, private parties, corporate events.
“I would take the ShortLine bus two hours from the Catskills,” he says. “Fifty dollars round trip. I did that three or four years before moving down here.”
These days, he exercises regularly, helps out his elderly parents and volunteers at the Teen Center in Delray Beach teaching pingpong and jump-rope skills.
“I love the idea of helping kids learn, but more importantly to put a smile on their faces, make ’em laugh — make ’em feel good about themselves.”
— Paula Detwiller
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school?
A. I grew up in New Hartford, N.Y., a suburb of Utica. After high school I attended SUNY Geneseo, about 30 miles south of Rochester, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in special education. But as Mark Twain once said, “Never let your schooling interfere with your education.” I read that quote when I was 17, while relaxing in solitude in a cemetery. I went there quite often in the summer of 1975 to soothe my emotional distress over a girlfriend who had dumped me. Throughout my life, my greatest education has come from the woods, the lakes, the hilltops and the union of my heart and mind, thanks to the good Lord and my parents.
Q. What are some highlights of your life?
A. In 2005, my life story was printed in The New York Times — on the front page! That exposure brought many opportunities and wonderful experiences. Within days of the article coming out, a documentary film based on my life went into production. Not long after, I was featured in another film called Welcome to Kutsher’s. And recently I had a part in a film called When Comedy Went to School.
But there was another movie made in the early 1990s that brought great excitement for me. It was called Arizona Dreamer. I only had two small parts in this movie, but I had the great pleasure of meeting Johnny Depp and doing Simon Says with him.
I won a spot in the Guinness World Records for the most jumps in one minute: 332. I also set another world record on Regis Philbin’s talk show: I jumped rope for an hour nonstop — 8,320 jumps.
On another occasion, I skipped rope 222 times on one foot in just one minute.
Other highlights of my life included doing my Simon Says act on a CBS TV show hosted by Oprah’s friend Gayle King; playing basketball with Cal Ripken Jr.; exercising and playing pingpong with professional boxers Evander Holyfield, Michael Spinks, and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini; being invited to Joan Rivers’ dressing room for some advice on the world of comedy; and getting a letter of commendation from Arnold Schwarzenegger for spreading the importance of fitness via skipping rope.
Recently I made it to the finals of a professional pingpong tournament in New York City. It was held at a club called SPiN, which is part owned by the Susan Sarandon. I challenged Susan in Simon Says and also played pingpong with her.
For a paddle, I used a shoe and a stone — and luckily she had a good sense of humor when I beat her!
Q. How did you choose to make your home in Highland Beach?
A. I moved here to help out my parents, who were struggling with health issues.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Highland Beach?
A. Highland Beach has a wonderful shoreline and I am so grateful to live where I can open my sliding door and admire the sights and sounds of the ocean. I also love the flat streets of this town, because I go cycling quite a bit. The library is the best I ever went to!
Q. If you could change anything in your life, what would it be?
A. First, I would try to be a better and kinder person to my parents. Secondly, I would have tried to solidify this thing called love and go on to have a family of my own. Lastly I would have spent much more time interacting with the less fortunate. At least now I am trying to make a difference for the benefit of others.
Q. How did you come up with the name Krazy Tyrone?
A. When I went to the Catskills to work at the hotel resort, I played the harmonica with my nose. I skipped rope while playing the harmonica. I played pingpong with the resort guests using a spoon, a block of wood, a shoe, or even a stone for a paddle. And people noticed my craziness of memorizing the most stupid facts and figures and rattling them off at my trivia shows. My jumping rope in the steam room put the icing on the cake. So hence the guests called me crazy. I changed it to Krazy Tyrone.
Q. If someone made a movie of your life, who would you like to play you and why?
A. That’s already happened — a documentary called The Last of the Tummlers. But if a movie were to be made of my whole life, it would be nice to have Kris Kristofferson because he exemplifies emotions so naturally and has that voice that all people love to listen to.
Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration?
A. When I need motivation to proceed with my workouts, I listen to a tape I made with songs by Bob Seger (Old Time Rock and Roll) and strong and powerful uplifting instrumental music such as the soundtrack of Braveheart and The Last of the Mohicans. I also use Prince, Melissa Etheridge and “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. “A good understanding of how the human mind works is the core of communication, and this, blended with a dose of kindness, is the art of teaching.”
Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
A. Curly of the Three Stooges. He could dance funny and make sounds that were hysterical. He had nonverbal expressions that make me giggle every time I watch him.
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