Berkley’s tie to Tony Curtis

In a tribute today to actor and entertainer Tony Curtis, Rep. Shelley Berkley revealed she shared a family tie of sorts to the famed actor and Las Vegan who passed away last night.

"I knew of Tony Curtis before I ever met him, not only through his movies but also through my late mother’s fond recollections of him as a classmate of hers in high school," Berkley said in a statement.

Berkley's mother Estelle Levine and Curtis -- who was Bernard Schwartz back then -- " were both from the Lower East Side of New York – a large community of Jewish immigrants at the time – and I remember my mother telling me how proud the neighborhood was that a young Jewish boy from their working-class community became such a star. Through his success, they felt that they truly belonged in America and that they, too, could achieve the American Dream.

“Not only was Tony Curtis an extraordinarily gifted actor, he was also a talented artist and a wonderful citizen-activist," Berkley said.