L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D e a r r e a d - e r s , l o o k i n g back, I noted that it was in D e c e m b e r 1 9 1 5 t h a t o n e w o r l d - renowned singer-entertainer entered this world, and it w a s o n D e c e m b e r 2 5 t h , 1995, that another world- renowned singer-entertainer made his exit. S i n c e D e c e m b e r i s a month when presents play a n i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n o u r lives, I want to pause and r e m e m b e r t w o I t a l i a n - Americans who shared their gifts of talent for over 50 years and brought much joy to the world. *** Frank Sinatra arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey, on D e c e m b e r 1 2 t h , 1 9 1 5 . H e was the son of a prized fight- er turned fire captain - a father who said "singing is for sissies"- and a dynamic m o t h e r , D o l l y , w h o w a s active in district politics. After high school, he worked for a time as a copy boy for the Hudson Observer, then organized a singing group, the Hoboken Four. He won first prize on Major Bowes amateur hour, singing Night and Day, and was sent on a Bowes tour. Radio jobs fol- lowed, and one night, while he was acting as a singing emcee at a small club, Harry J a m e s c a l l e d h i m a n d signed him to sing with his band at $75 a week. During an engagement in Los Ange- les, Tommy Dorsey saw him and offered him $150. He accepted and sang with the Pied Pipers and, later, as a soloist. In 1942, he struck out on his own and began attract- ing national attention. He had his own radio show, and by 1943, was featured on Y o u r H i t P a r a d e . W h e n teenagers began to scream and swoon, he was booked into the Paramount Theater at $7500 a week. And when a girl who had stood in line for seven hours, and who h a d s a t t h r o u g h s e v e r a l shows, fainted from hunger, the "swooning" fainting fad began. Frank Sinatra's displea- sure with his distorted press coverage was often justified. Comedian Alan King, in his b o o k N a m e - D r o p p i n g remembers: "There was a heavyweight fight in Stock- h o l m , h e w a s f l y i n g o v e r there with some pals, and he wanted me to come along. I said, 'Frank, I can't. I've got to open in London the next day.' About a week later, I p i c k e d u p t h e L o n d o n papers, and there was a pic- ture of Sinatra and company a t t h e f i g h t . T h e c a p t i o n u n d e r t h e p i c t u r e r e a d 'Frank and his mafia body- g u a r d s . ' I g o t h y s t e r i c a l . T h e r e w a s M a r t i n G a b l e , f o u r - f o o t - e i g h t , w i t h b a d feet and chronic arthritis; Harry Mufson, the owner of t h e E d e n R o c k H o t e l i n Miami, recovering from his third angina attack; Prince Mike Romanoff, who was even smaller and sicker than Martin Gable; and the ven- erable Joe Louis, who just h a d h a l f h i s s t o m a c h removed. Frank, surrounded b y o l d m e n . L o o k a t t h e mafia protection he had!" S i n a t r a s p o k e v i a h i s songs directly to the hearts of people because he was a guy off the streets of Hobo- ken, New Jersey, who made it big. The American Dream. When Sinatra sang My Way, it spoke to the hearts of peo- ple. They knew he wasn't kidding. He left us in 1998. *** D e a n M a r t i n p a s s e d a w a y o n C h r i s t m a s D a y 1995. Born Dean Paul Cro- c e t t i o n J u n e 7 , 1 9 1 7 , i n Steubenville, Ohio, Martin, who spoke only Italian until the age of five, was ridiculed at school for his broken Eng- lish. The son of immigrants Angela and Gaetano Cro- c e t t i , a b a r b e r , D e a n dropped out of school at 16. He had a few amateur fights as "Kid Crochet" and became a croupier in a backroom club called The Rocks. He began singing around the Midwest, and by the early 1940s, he was a regular at New York's City night spots. Untrained but gifted, Dean Martini, as he was known, imitated the easy, jazzy style of Bing Crosby. Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. The ten-year installation of Martin and Lewis at the pinnacle of showbiz began a s a n a c c i d e n t i n 1 9 4 6 . When a performer who was ill canceled at the Tony 500 Club in Atlantic City, the pair, who were performing there separately, took the stage together: the riotous h o u r t h a t f o l l o w e d m a d e t h e m s e n s a t i o n s n e a r l y overnight. The pair made their first film, My Friend Irma, in 1949, for producer Hal Willis. Through 15 more comedies, the money rolled in. Dean rarely performed after 1976, but he enjoyed a daily cycle of golf at the Riv- iera Country Club in Pal- isades, California, a daily d r i n k , a n d a W e s t e r n o n TV. A series of personal losses p i e r c e d h i s d e v i l - m a k e r shell in 1987. His son, Dino Jr., aged 35, died when his F-4C Phantom Jet crashed into a mountainside on a training mission. He began having dinner at his favorite Beverly Hills I t a l i a n r e s t a u r a n t L a Famiglia almost every night. When the place closed, Mar- tin simply switched destina- tion to Da Vinci, arriving p u n c t u a l l y a t 7 . 3 0 . H i s order never varied: a scotch on the rocks, followed by spaghetti with fresh tomato a n d b a s i l , a n d c r e a m y tiramisù for dessert. Then home to watch Western on TV. D i n o ' s r o u t i n e l a s t e d u n t i l h i s C h r i s t m a s D a y passing at age 78.

• Cover