Pat Cooper – Italian American Comedian

Pat Cooper – Italian American Comedian

by | Sep 5, 2020 | Blog, Comedy

Pasquale Caputo (Pat Cooper) was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1929 to Italian parents Michael Caputo, from Mola di Bari, Italy, and Louise Gargiulo. Cooper started performing stand-up in the 1950s, originally for primarily Italian-American audiences. In 1963, he got his big break on The Jackie Gleason Show. After this, he played top nightclubs and Vegas casinos, with famous stars such as Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Sergio Franchi, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. 

On May 2, 1969, Cooper and singer Jimmy Roselli premiered in their two-man show at Broadway’s Palace Theatre, New York. He has performed at celebrity roasts and was also a frequent guest on many radio shows, such as The Howard Stern Show. Billboard Magazine gave his album Our Hero (1965) a special merit review and said that it “does for the Italian-American community what Jackie Mason did for the Jewish-American community.” 

In addition to his stand-up, Cooper has acted in the films Analyze This and This Thing of Ours, and guest-starred in multiple television series.  Pat Cooper has been married three times and has two biological children.

Henry Mancini – The Italian American Composer

Henry Mancini – The Italian American Composer

by | Sep 3, 2020 | Blog, Musicians

Enrico Nicola “Henry” Mancini was born on April 16, 1924, in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Both his parents immigrated to America from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Henry’s love of music came from his father who was a flutist and encouraged his son to take up the instrument when he was eight years old. Four years later, Henry started playing the piano as well. 

Mancini enlisted in the United States Army in 1943. While in basic training, he met musicians being recruited by Glenn Miller. After his discharge, Mancini joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and in 1952 began working in the Universal-International Studios music department where he created scores for over 100 films. In 1958, he left Universal and began working as an independent composer. Mancini wrote scores for many different films during his career, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther series, Charade, Victor/Victoria, and The Glass Menagerie. He also scored music for television shows including Peter Gunn, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC Nightly News, and the theme songs for Newhart and Remington Steele.

Henry married singer Ginny O’Connor in 1946 and the couple had three children together – who all followed their parent’s footsteps and have enjoyed successful musical careers. Henry passed away from pancreatic cancer on June 14, 1994. During his lifetime he was nominated for 72 Grammy Awards (winning 20), 18 Academy Awards (winning 4), two Emmy Awards, and won a Golden Globe. Two of Henry’s songs, “Moon River” and “Days of Wine and Roses,” were ranked #4 and #39, respectively, by the American Film Institute (AFI) on its list of “100 Years…100 Songs.” AFI also ranked his score from The Pink Panther #20 on its list of “100 Years of Film Scores.”

Sources: HENRY MANCINI OFFICIAL WEBSITE, HENRY MANCINI INSTITUTE, GRAMMY AWARDS, AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE, OSIA, Wiki

Stanley Tucci – Italian American Actor, Director & Writer

Stanley Tucci – Italian American Actor, Director & Writer

by | Sep 2, 2020 | Blog, Film

Growing up, my family used to play the Big Night soundtrack. I became obsessed with some of the songs, especially “5 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days” by Louis Prima. It wasn’t until I was older that I actually watched the movie. The film is not only funny, but touches on great Italian food, family and the immigrant story of trying to achieve the American dream. While I knew Stanley Tucci was one of the stars of the film, it wasn’t until recently that I realized he was also the writer and director of the film. Tucci has definitely been in some great films, but I still say Big Night is my favorite. 

Stanley Tucci was born on November 11, 1960 in Peekskill, NY, to parents Joan Tropiano and Stanley Tucci, both Italian American’s with roots in Calabria. He showed a strong interest in acting and theater when he was growing up. After graduating in 1982 with his Bachelor’s degree in drama, he moved to New York City and performed in productions both on and off-Broadway. In 1985, Tucci made his film debut in the critically acclaimed Prizzi’s Honor.

After a number of minor and supporting roles in a number of television and film projects, Tucci decided to write, direct and star in Big Night – a movie about Italian immigrant brothers working together to run a restaurant in New Jersey. Tucci won the Waldo Scott Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for Big Night. In 1998, he starred in the television film Winchell and won a Golden Globe and Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor. Stanley has also starred in works covering a wide range of genres including ER, Monk, The Italian Americans, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games and Spotlight. In 2002, he starred on Broadway in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

“A Voice That Loves You: Enrico Caruso’s Part in Giving the World the Gift of Italian Music”

“A Voice That Loves You: Enrico Caruso’s Part in Giving the World the Gift of Italian Music”

by | Aug 31, 2020 | Blog, Musicians

“A voice that loves you,” that is what Rosa Ponselle, the American soprano who made her operatic debut opposite Caruso, said in description of Enrico Caruso.  Like many of our favorite stories, Caruso’s story began in Italy, Naples to be exact, in 1873.  He was born into the same type of poverty that led to the emigration of masses of Italians throughout the world.  His life spanned from 1873-1921 almost simultaneous with that emigration (1880-1920).  As you can imagine, Caruso’s voice was a voice of comfort, of love, to those Italians as they settled, often uncomfortably, into their new countries and became his biggest fans.  Opera was ferociously popular throughout Europe in the 1800’s as an expression of the romantic ideas of nationalism followed by the popularity of Canzone Napoletana music.  Both genres of music required passion, volume, and melodrama.  Caruso was just the man.

Opera legend has it that when Caruso auditioned for Giacomo Puccini in June of 1897, Puccini’s response was, “Who sent you to me, God?”  The timing of Caruso’s life and his Neopolitan talent certainly appeared like a miracle.  He brought a mastery and joy for both Opera and Canzone Napoletana music to the world at a time period that saw three remarkable things: a mass migration of Italians throughout the world, the United States as a new influence in worldwide culture, and the recording of music for use on record players. 

By 1902 Caruso had already established himself as a rising opera star, but something was about to cross his path that would make his name eternal.  A man named Fred Gaisberg of the Gramophone & Typewriter Co. was looking for opera talent to record and produce.  Other opera tenors had laughed at him, but Caruso took the opportunity.  Gaisberg signed him to sing ten songs and arias, all to be recorded in one session, for a fee of 100 English Pounds.  

Readers can find these recordings easily on the internet today.  To an opera purist, they would be able to recognize the mistakes made by Caruso during these recordings, but it didn’t matter as sales of those ten Caruso recordings eventually totaled over $2.5 million!  Just as Yankee Stadium was once known as “the house that Ruth built,” so Caruso had made the flat disc phonograph respectable, and the phonograph made him famous.  Gaisberg’s company would come to be better known as RCA Victor.  RCA yielded royalties of $1,825,000 during his lifetime and his family to this day continues to collect royalties.

Since most people reading this are probably Italian American it is worth knowing that aboard the S.S. Sardegna on November 11, 1903, Caruso first beheld New York Harbor. It was primarily at the Metropolitan Opera House that he became synonymous with the role of Pagliacci in Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci.  His performance of ‘Vesti la Giubba,’ the clown Pagliacci’s lament, was virtually Caruso’s signature. In fact, Caruso had no qualms walking three blocks from his Times Square hotel all the way to the Met in full clown costume and being followed by adoring crowds.  Needless to say, Italian Americans loved him.  His success was an encouragement and a source of pride in the midst of their hardships.

Joseph Barbera – The Italian American Animator

Joseph Barbera – The Italian American Animator

by | Aug 27, 2020 | Film, Television

10 Interesting facts about Joseph Barbera:

  1. Joseph Barbera was born in Little Italy, New York, to Italian immigrants Vincent Barbera, born in Castelvetrano, and Francesca Calvacca Barbera, born in Sciacca, Italy. He grew up speaking Italian.
  2. During high school, Barbera worked as a delivery boy for a tailor.
  3. After years of working as a cartoonist and artist, he left New York in 1937 to work for the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) cartoon unit in California. His desk was opposite that of William Hanna.
  4. In 1940, Hanna and Barbera jointly directed Puss Gets the Boot, which was nominated for an Academy Award. From this cartoon, they pursued their cat-and-mouse idea, which resulted in Tom and Jerry.
  5. In 1957, Barbera and Hanna reteamed to produce cartoon films for television and theatrical release. To name their new company, they tossed a coin which determined that Hanna’s name would be first in Hanna-Barbera Productions.
  6. After a few successful T.V series, the pair created a new animated series, The Flintstones, as a parody of The Honeymooners.
  7. Hanna and Barbera created cartoons that revolved around close friendship. This can be seen with Fred and Barney, Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble, Tom and Jerry, Scooby and Shaggy, Yogi & Boo-Boo, The Jetson Family, and more.
  8. Hanna-Barbera won seven Academy Awards and eight Emmy Awards, including the first Emmy awarded to an animated series for The Huckleberry Hound Show.
  9. Hanna-Barbera cartoons have become global icons and have been translated into more than 28 languages.
  10. Joseph Barbera passed away at home on December 18, 2006 at the age of 95.

 

Here is just a partial list of television programs created by Hanna-Barbera:

The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958-1962)

The Flintstones (1960-1966)

Top Cat (1961-1962)

The Jetsons (1962-1963)

Jonny Quest (1964-1965)

Space Ghost and Dino Boy (1966)

Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles (1966-1968)

Birdman and the Galaxy Trio (1967-1969)

The Herculoids (1967-1968)

Fantastic Four (1967-1968)

The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968-1970)

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (1969-1970)

Josie and the Pussycats (1970-1971)

Speed Buggy (1973)

Super Friends (1973-1974)

Inch-High Private Eye (1973-1974)

Hong Kong Phooey (1974)

Clue Club (1976-1977)

Jabberjaw (1976-1978)

The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang (1980-1981)

The Smurfs (1981-1989)

Shirt Tales (1982-1984)

The Berenstain Bears (1985-1987)

The Pirates of Dark Water (1991-1993)

Johnny Bravo (1997-2004)

The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2005)

 

 

Jim Croce – The Italian American Folk Singer

Jim Croce – The Italian American Folk Singer

by | Aug 26, 2020 | Musicians

In 2015, my band performed at the San Diego Italian Festival. A few months before the festival, I received an email from Ingrid Croce, the wife of Jim Croce. I was amazed to get an email from her, and I was even more amazed that she wanted us to perform at her restaurant “Croce’s Park West” while we were in town. While I had grown up listening to Jim Croce’s music, I never knew he was Italian until speaking with Ingrid. While he didn’t write Italian music, you can definitely feel the deep emotional and romantic elements in his music like in traditional Italian music. With songs like “Operator” and “Time In A Bottle,” he definitely knew how to tug on the listener’s heartstrings. It was an honor to perform in their restaurant, and I wanted to share a little bit about Jim’s career and life.

On January 10, 1943, James Joseph Croce was born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to James Albert Croce and Flora Mary (Babusci) Croce, both Italian Americans from Abruzzo and Palermo, Sicily. Croce grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

Croce did not take music seriously until he attended Villanova University. In addition to being a member of the Villanova Singers, he formed bands and performed at fraternity parties, coffee houses, and universities around Philadelphia. In 1963, Croce met his future wife, Ingrid Jacobson, and from the mid-1960’s to early 1970s, they performed music together as a duo. They spent a few years on the road, playing small clubs and college concerts, but living the life as traveling musicians took its toll on the duo and they decided to settle back down in Pennsylvania.  

It wasn’t until 1971, the year their first child was born, that Croce decided he wanted to try again to make music his profession. In 1972, Croce signed a three-record contract with ABC Records, releasing You Don’t Mess Around With Jim and Life and Times. He received radio airplay and began appearing on T.V., performing his singles “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”, “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)” and “Time In A Bottle.”

Croce was traveling promoting his new albums, when on September 20, 1973, Croce and 5 others were killed in a plane crash leaving a concert in Louisiana. This was one day before the release of his single “I Got A Name.” Croce was only 30 years old. It is amazing to think about the other hits Croce could’ve written if he wasn’t’ taken at such a young age. 

Croce’s music has inspired many musicians and his legacy lives on with his son A.J Croce. Not only does A.J perform his own original music, but also does a tribute show called Croce Plays Croce where he performs his father’s music.

See below for a video of his son A.J Croce and his show Croce Plays Croce.