Charles Evans

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.