Upon meeting the unassuming Mary Micucci, it’s not immediately apparent that she holds legendary status as Hollywood’s original cateress and is responsible for developing what is now an industry called “party planning.” One wouldn’t realize that this woman’s home in one of Los Angeles’ historic districts is filled with photos of her with presidents, international luminaries and triple-A celebrities. Yet, on any night of the week, Micucci and company can be found directing small armies of lighting, sound and music directors, entertainers and chefs for clients like Sony, Paramount, Universal, MGM, CBS, ABC, HBO, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast, General Motors, Warner Brothers, Bulgari, Coca-Cola, Chevy, Jaguar, Land Rover, and more. She has also been called upon on many occasions to produce and cater event for Presidents Carter, Clinton and Bush. And, even though her formidable staff handles things like seating, this party powerhouse sometimes personally chooses the right server to wait on a movie studio mogul’s table. She’s also been known to personally oversee the VIP section studded with names like Streisand, Cruise, Ford and Pitt. The Hollywood Reporter calls Mary “The Epicurean Steven Spielberg.” People magazine, “Entertainment Tonight,” US Weekly and her clients describe her with a myriad of vernacular. Some swoon with loyalty and call her the maven of marvelousness. Others espouse that Mary will undoubtedly “move heaven and earth to make a fantasy become reality."
It is fitting then that Mary Micucci’s living room centers on the most telling of photographs propped upon the mantle. A black and white eight by ten shows a five-year old raven-haired girl with shiny big eyes, surveying a table filled with place settings and party hats.