Mad for Mamacita: The unique bond between Joan Crawford and German immigrant maid with nine children who spoke no English but became the best friend of Hollywood's biggest star

• The close relationship between Joan Crawford and her longtime maid Mamacita is featured in the new FX series 'Feud'
• Crawford hired Mamacita in the summer of 1960 to work for two months cleaning her summer house in the Hamptons while she was on vacation
• The actress eventually took Mamacita with her to Los Angeles, where she worked for Crawford for the next 14 years before returning to Germany
• Mamacita was a German immigrant who was born Anna Marie Brinke and had nine children plus 'many grandchildren' when she was hired by Crawford 
• Her grandson Mark told a Crawford fan site that Mamacita quit because she was 'tired of things being thrown at her'
• Mamacita is portrayed by Broadway star Jackie Hoffman in 'Feud' 

The most fascinating relationship in the new FX series 'Feud' has not been that of longtime rivals turned costars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, but rather the unlikely bond between Crawford and her maid, Mamacita. 

Anna Marie Brinke came into Crawford's life in the summer of 1960 when the actress hired her to clean the Hamptons summer home that she had rented for herself and her 13-year-old twin daughters Cindy and Cathy.

That temporary two-month job eventually stretched into 14 years, with Mamacita making the move from Westhampton to Los Angeles to work for Crawford. 

It was while in California that the two women grew closer, with Mamacita often the only employee working for Crawford in her household. 

She returned home to Germany in 1974 however after she and Crawford got in their own feud according to Mamacita's grandson Mark, who told the moderator of a fan site dedicated to the actress that his grandmother was 'tired of things being thrown at her.' 

That account is disputed in  'Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography' though, where it is written that Mamacita left for Germany over a family crisis prior to Crawford's death.

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Crawford wrote about how she came to hire Mamacita in her 1971 lifestyle book, 'My Way of Life.' 

'I think it’s time to explain that Mamacita isn’t a Spanish girl. She’s a German lady who has raised nine children and has many grandchildren,' explained Crawford. 

'I took a house in Westhampton nine or ten years ago– a place to take the children for the summer. I had no one to help me and I didn’t want to spend two months making beds and scrubbing bathrooms.' 

Crawford said she got her neighbor on the phone, and spoke to her maid who said: ‘I know someone for you, but I don’t know whether you can put up with her. She’s never heard of a bucket and mop.’ 

Crawford responded by asking: ‘Handsies, kneesies?’ 

When the maid confirmed that Crawford's description of the woman's cleaning style was accurate, the actress said: ‘Bring her over tomorrow morning. That’s just my cup of tea. I never did think you could get into corners with any mop. Who is it?’

The maid responded: ‘My mother. I’ll bring her.’ 

Crawford went on to detail the first meeting between the two in her book, and how the nickname Mamacita came to be.

'The next morning I was on the phone when they arrived. I turned for a moment and said, "Start in my bedroom and have her work her way through the other bedrooms and then down here," and then I went back to the phone. 

'When I hung up I wanted to call her to come quickly to take the dogs out but I realized that I hadn’t asked her name. I had just returned from Rio de Janeiro, where all I had heard was mamacita, papacita, cousincita, everythingcita, so without thinking I called out, "Mamacita!" 

'Back she cried, "Ya! Ich coming!" 'The name has stuck ever since. In all the countries we have traveled to together, in all languages, everyone calls her Mamacita.' 

It is worth noting that the language spoken in Rio de Janeiro is Portuguese and not Spanish, meaning Crawford was incorrect to refer to her maid as a 'Spanish girl' based on her nickname. 

Crawford was close to broke at the time she met and hire Mamacita due to the debts she incurred one year prior after the death of her fourth husband, Pepsi executive Alfred Steele. 

To make matters worse, she had few job prospects in Hollywood, despite receiving an Oscar nomination for her work in 'Sudden Fear' eight years prior and rave reviews for her performance in the 1959 film 'The Best of Everything.' 

Crawford also wrote in her 1971 book that she and Mamacita had 'language problems' when they first began working together but it gave her 'the best lesson' in 'pantomime.' 

'I had to act out everything I wanted her to do speaking slowly and distinctly about each action, each idea,' wrote Crawford. 

She went on to state that Mamacita did not mind this writing: 'She'd watch my mouth carefully then watch my elaborate little scene. Finally a beautiful smile of comprehension would spread over her face and she'd say: "Oh, ya. Ya! Ich do!"' 

And as the two grew closer, Mamacita would also be mistaken for Crawford's mother when they traveled together said the actress. 

'I don't know what I'd do without Mamacita. No new situation ever flusters her. And new situations turn up every day.' 

Meanwhile, some of the claims that have been made about Mamacita in the first few episodes of the series appear to be fiction.

There is no evidence to support the claim that the idea for 'Baby Jane' came from Crawford after she ordered Mamacita to go out and bring her books featuring older female characters.

The fourth episode of the series also closes with a questionable moment that details how Mamacita responded to Crawford's snub on the morning the Academy announced the Oscar nominations.