USA TODAY International Edition
Teacher by day, mob artist by night
Michael Bell, while becoming one of the most highly regarded art teachers in the USA, spent his evenings painting portraits of mob bosses.
Bell just published his memoir, Dual Lives, which chronicles his rise as an educator and a portraitist who painted the likes of John Gotti and some actors from The Sopranos.
Bell, a Lyndhurst, N. J., native now living in Maryland, is a nationally renowned teacher — he was named Maryland Art Education Teacher of the Year in 2002 and has a resume filled with achievements, including a speaking engagement on innovation in arts education with former U. S. secretary Arne Duncan in 2009. That’s a striking contrast to Bell’s work as an artist — his clientele list includes names like Gotti and Capone.
It was in Lyndhurst where his grandmother, a self- taught artist, first put a brush in his hand at the age of 5. He never looked back.
“She was in the first outdoor art show there in Lyndhurst,” he said. “She had to go back to work though and that’s when I took over as the family artist.”
Bell said he was exposed to “the life” of mobsters at an early age. His uncle was involved in a high- profile murder trial that was surrounded in mob dealings.
“I grew up around it watching my uncle on trial and that sort of thing, so I knew of it but I was never in it,” Bell said.
Art followed him to Lycoming College, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. He found another passion there, too — teaching.
After college, Bell moved to Harwood, Md., with his wife for a teaching gig.
He says the Gottis sought him out to paint their portraits because they simply liked his work. The others followed.
At night, he painted his por- traits. He painted John Gotti for his daughter, Angel, as well as several actors from The Sopranos. Bell toured with the cast and signed copies of the paintings, which were sold as merchandise. In Chicago, he painted Dominic Capone, a great- nephew of Al Capone.
“We all just run in similar circles I guess,” Bell said.
Bell painted John Gotti Jr. for the cover of his book, Shadow of My Father. Bell said he and Gotti are close and that Gotti has been very supportive of Bell’s son, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago. Bell has a great deal of respect for him, he said.
His son’s diagnosis inspired Bell to write his book.