what happened to Aunt Rose?

For over 60 years, and all over the country, my mom has been telling the tomato joke. The joke is about Aunt Rose, from the old country, and a misunderstanding about tomatoes with Mr. Bommarito. My mom came up with the joke by observing her Sicilian family, most notably Aunt Rose, to create bits for her stand-up routine performed in basements all over East Detroit in the 1960s. 

In 2012, Harrison Ford was on The Late Show with David Letterman, where he told a different version of the joke...only there's no Aunt Rose, no Mr. Bommarito and there's certainly no tomato. Instead Ford opted for broccoli in a grocery store.

I am trying to figure out how my mom's joke made it all the way from Gratiot and 7 Mile Road in Detroit to Harrison Ford's lips.

If you or someone you know is Harrison Ford or you have any clues as to how he may have heard the joke, please email tomato.joke.mystery@gmail.com

Harrison, if you're reading this, we would love to have an interview to see if we can solve this game of telephone mystery.

🍅Claire

May 2, 2026 Update!
I met Harrison Ford at a screening event for Shrinking. We had a wonderful conversation where I told him about the joke and he was filled with enthusiasm for the art of joke-telling. His eagerness and appreciation made me grateful that the joke found its way to him. I will be updating the film with this newfound perspective very soon! Thank you, Harrison!