Ed Zotti
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Ed Zotti is credited as being the "editor and confidant" of Cecil Adams, the pseudonym of the writer of the nationally syndicated column The Straight Dope. Many readers of Adams's column believe that Zotti is, in fact, Adams, though the latter has (according to addenda in The Straight Dope books) never been photographed and those in his employ are reticent on the situation.
William Poundstone's 1983 book Big Secrets, which exposed a variety of professional, trade, and entertainment secrets, refers to Cecil as "some guy named Ed Zotti." The remark is made only in passing, without any supporting evidence.
Perhaps the strongest piece of evidence in support of the Zotti-is-Adams theory is that Zotti himself penned a book in 1991 entitled Know It All! The marquee device used on the cover is similar to the arched style used on the covers of the Straight Dope books. The book answers a variety of questions, much as Adams's column does, and the writing styles are very similar, albeit that if Zotti truly is Adams's editor, he may have coloured Adams's writing style.
A 1995 issue of Parenting magazine features a photograph of someone purported to be Ed Zotti holding an infant. Incidentally, this photo bears a striking resemblance to a picture published in an earlier periodical — only that shot claimed its subject was Cecil Adams himself.
No concrete evidence has been unearthed, however, and only if Adams ever unveils himself will this matter be put to rest.
Zotti attended high school at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary,[1] where he served as editor of student newspapers.
