Meet Danny Lettieri
Danny Lettieri is a storyteller, illustrator, and unapologetic Christmas maximalist. Raised in a loud, loving Italian American family in upstate New York, he learned early that the best holiday memories usually involve a little chaos and a lot of heart. Now based in San Francisco with his husband Vance and a garage full of Yuletide décor, Danny turns real-life misadventures into stories that are as funny as they are tender.
Born in the Bronx, New York, Danny’s family moved north in 1970 to what was then quaintly called “the country” – Hopewell Junction, in Dutchess County. He was eight at the time, and felt the full force of the culture shock that came with the move: transitioning from cityscape to rural isolation, and from Catholic school to public education, while grappling with big bullies and bigger questions.
Danny remembers, “Growing up gay was a challenge in terms of hiding my sexuality. After high school, I decided to leave Hopewell in order to find myself and be able to live openly as a gay man.” He spent four years in St. Thomas, and a couple of years in Orlando, Florida; then it was back to New York, living in the Bronx, Nassau County, Queens, Flushing, Brooklyn and, finally, Manhattan, a city that stole his heart. He eventually ended up in San Francisco, California, where he has lived since 2006.
A man of many careers, Danny took “fake it ’til you make it” to a new level! From stock clerk at the A&P to dispatcher for East Fishkill Town Police and to EMT at Sloper Willen; from hardware clerk at May’s Department Store to sales clerk/window dresser at a high-end clothing store; from working in a factory to selling shoes, waiting tables and eventually managing a restaurant in the Caribbean; from cosmetic salesperson to bookseller to an assistant at a film production company, to personal assistant, to human resources & finance manager.
Danny now has an organizing business called Let Go Let Dan. He works with seniors, helping them transition to smaller spaces and make their existing space more comfortable and manageable. He says, “It is the most gratifying and humbling career. I only wish I’d started earlier.”
Danny recently added “author” to his resume, with the publication of Ho Ho, OH NO!: Twelve True Stories of Tinsel, Bedlam & Unconditional Love (Hedge Jumper Press). An engaging (often hilarious) storyteller, Danny combed through memories he’d written about over the years and noted there were quite a few with a Christmas theme – and voila! Ho Ho, OH NO! was born.
Fun facts about Danny…
He loves playing mahjong, singing, gardening, doing jigsaw puzzles, painting, felting and … (surprise!) everything about Christmas!
As a kid, he loved figure skating. “When I was gliding along on the ice, I was so carefree, and felt such a sense of freedom,” he says. “While my brother and his friends were jumping over obstacle courses to show how cool they were, I was pretending that I was a figure skater performing a short program at the Olympics.”
Addictions include slot machines and Mister Softee soft serve ice cream. (He’s been known to walk block after Manhattan block in search of that one Mister Softee truck!)
Speaking of singing … Throughout his school years, Danny participated in choirs, first in the tenor section and later as a baritone. (He could also do an impressive soprano imitation that put a few church choir divas to shame!) He recalls, “During those years, music became my escape. Not only did I love to sing, but choir was one of the few places where my bullies wouldn’t go, so I always felt safe there. Singing was good for my soul in many ways.” In high school, he also participated in vocal competitions, both with the group and solo; and performed in several school musicals.
Right around the time of Covid, Danny put together a lounge act for older adults, where he would go to various senior centers and sing hits from the Great American Songbook. He says, “I loved watching the expressions on people’s faces when a song brought back a fond memory. Of course, there was the time when I was doing a holiday show, and when I announced the name of the song I was about to sing, a woman stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes!”
Danny loves to travel and has visited many places, with London, Tokyo, Milan, Prague, Portugal and Kauai being some of his favorites. He especially loves Japan, and even went to Japanese school in San Francisco to learn the language. He says, “And the saying is SO true, if you don’t use it, you lose it!”
Throughout Danny’s journey, he has been fortunate enough to have a loving, supportive family and many dear friends who have encouraged him along the way.
