Monday, September 30, 2013

Bill Finger’s family tree

Here is a family tree for Bill Finger, uncredited co-creator of Batman and star of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. Now in convenient list format! (Translation: I don't know how to make a family tree graphic.)

Names in blue were deceased before I started my research.


Names in red are people I spoke with.


Names in black are people I have not found...yet.

  • Louis Finger (Bill’s father; born 10/20/1890 in Austria, though one source says Russia and another says Poland; died 2/7/1961 in the Bronx)
  • Rosa Rosenblatt (Bill’s biological mother; birth/death currently unknown)
  • Tessie Stromberg (Bill’s stepmother; born 12/28/1892 in New York; died 3/28/1961 in the Bronx)
  • Milton Finger (changed to “Bill” after high school; born 2/8/1914 in Denver, CO; died 1/18/1974 in Manhattan)
  • Emily (Bill’s half-sister or possibly cousin; born 10/3/1918 in New York, died 9/27/2018 in Florida)
  • Gilda (Bill’s half-sister or possibly cousin; born circa 1920 in New York)
  • Portia Finger (Bill’s first wife; born Ethel Epstein 4/21/1920 in Jersey City, NJ; died 1/2/1990 in Manhattan)
  • Irene Flam (Portia’s twin sister; Bill’s sister-in-law; died 1993)
  • Judy Flam (Bill’s niece)
  • Eric Flam (Bill’s nephew)
  • Frederic Finger (commonly called Freddie or Fred; Bill’s only known child; born 12/26/1948 in Manhattan; died 2/15/1992 in Brooklyn)
  • Edith (later Lyn) Simmons (Bill’s second wife, 1960s; born 10/30/1922, died 5/2/2018 in New York)
  • Bonnie Burrell (Fred’s wife, 1970s; died 2/2/2019 in Massachusetts)
  • Charles Shaheen (Fred’s roommate and inheritor of Batman royalties after Fred’s death; died 2002 in Manteo, NC)
  • Jesse Maloney (acquaintance of Charles Shaheen’s; after Charles’s death, Jesse claimed to be Fred’s brother and received Batman royalties from 2002-2007)
  • Athena Finger (Fred’s only child and Bill’s only known grandchild; born 1976)
  • Benjamin Cruz (Athena’s only child; born 2002)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

In the film Batman and Bill, Fred is dead when Bill is recognized and receives credit. It appears from the notes in your 'chart' that Fred was receiving Batman royalties.
Is there something I'm not understanding ?

S. Fulkerson said...

Just noted you had this site up, and beginning some research into Bill's family. If you want to track any progress, you can visit his profile and family tree at:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Finger-344