At the main entrance to Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield, Illinois is the large crypt and monument of Roy Bertelli (1910-2003) Mr. Accordion. You can't miss it.
Roy always dreamed of being buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, but thought the possibility of it happening was next to impossible. One day, he summoned his courage and went to the cemetery to ask about a burial plot. To his amazement one was available, a tiny triangle of land right next to the road leading to Lincoln's tomb. He bought it on the spot. A couple weeks later, Roy received a letter from the cemetery stating the plot was sold to him in error. A second letter arrived from the cemetery's lawyer, stating the plot would be seized and would take Roy to court if he didn't give it back. World War II veteran Roy said he would have given the plot back if he hadn't been disrespected. He decided to teach the cemetery a lesson and built his tomb above ground, impossible to miss. Then he placed a large elevated tablet behind it engraved with a big accordion over happy musical notes.
Roy would periodically visit his grave, stand on top of his crypt and play his accordion, to the bafflement of cemetery visitors and the horror of the city.
As a final flip, he kept the Oak Ridge Cemetery crypt, paying for its perpetual care, but had himself buried in a cemetery east of town.
