Tres Patines

Leopoldo Fernandez Salgado (born in Calimete, Provincia Matanzas not far from Jaguey Grande, Cuba on December 26, 1904 – died in Miami on November 11, 1985) was a Cuban comedian, known as Jose Candelario Tres Patines or "Pototo", maker and performer at the radio program La Tremenda Corte, which is still presented on radio, VCR and DVDs.

While born in Jagüey Grande, Matanzas his birth was registered in the city of Güines, about 30 miles south of the Havana. At an early age the family moved from Güines to Havana. He left school to work and help his family since he was young. He delivered bread; after, he was a telegraphist, tobacco maker, and fortune-teller until 1926, when he founded a theatrical company with some of his friends. That same year he was hired to go on a national tour with Blanquita Gomez. When the tour was over he went back to his hometown and returned to his company; he traveled to La Habana and met Candita Quintana, Federico Piquero, Alberto Garrido and Mimi Cal, who later would become Nananina of La Tremenda Corte and also would be married to Leopoldo for sixteen years. His performances took him to countries such as Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panama and Dominican Republic where people daily listened to La Tremenda Corte. He also performed in some films.

His most successful series is La Tremenda Corte, launched in 1941. He was the maker of the character named Pototo which appeared on TV in El show de Pototo y Filomeno. The character of the judge in La Tremenda Corte and Filomeno was masterfully performed by Anibal de Mar. Leopoldo and Anibal were professional comedians and also singers, together with the Orquesta Melodias del Cuarenta.

When Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, Leopoldo exiled to Miami where he continued performing in theaters, and where he died in 1985; but before he went to Mexico to launch La Tremenda Corte through XEFB in the 1960s (he was the main character and made the scripts) with a success that spread to all of Latin America and is currently broadcast through XEU la U from Veracruz radio station, in the city of Veracruz, in three daily programs.

Leopoldo’s programs aren’t broadcast in Cuba. Currently, there’s a remake of La Tremenda Corte broadcast on Television Cubana in his memory with the name ¿Jura decir la verdad?; and its main character, Chivichana (named after a kind of Cuban rough skateboard) who preserves a lot of Leopoldo Fernandez’s Trespatines’ classic style.