The Surprising Reason Why Larry Mondello Disappeared From ‘Leave It to Beaver’

Whatever happened to Beaver’s buddy Larry Mondello, played by Rusty Stevens? I’m going to do my best to answer that question, but first, let’s talk about Leave It to Beaver. The show, which debuted on CBS in 1957, switched over to ABC during its sophomore season and ran for six years in total.

As you might expect, a lot changed over the course of the show’s six seasons. Not only did the boys, Theodore “the Beaver” (Jerry Mathers) and his brother Wally (Tony Dow), mature, but the Beaver’s best friend and primary mischief-maker, Larry Mondello, just up and disappeared during the middle of the show’s run.