Who Was Fonzie’s Cousin Spike from ‘Happy Days’?

During the 1970s, I really loved Happy Days. Life with the Cunningham family seemed quite surreal — as was Fonzie’s younger cousin, Raymond “Spike” Fonzarelli, who was played by actor Danny Butch and served as Fonzie’s (Henry Winkler) very own little “Mini-Me. Many fans wonder what happened to Butch; it turns out, the character’s disappearance was a result of audience disinterest.

During Seasons 2-4, we got a pint-sized version of Fonzie. His name was Spike, and he idolized the Fonz, and tried to be just like him. There were some things getting in his way, though. The lack of a driver’s license meant that he was riding something decidedly less cool than Fonzie’s motorcycle, but you can’t fault him for trying. And he wasn’t shy with the ladies either. I think it was during his first appearance on Happy Days that Spike made the decision to start dating an older woman. Yep. I’m talking about 13-year-old Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran).