JOHN F. PORCARO'S

ITALIAN - AMERICAN

GOLDEN OLDIES & DOO-WOP PAGE

(actually pre-Beatles Rock & Roll era)

As a kid growing up in an Italian-American section of Newark, NJ I was fascinated with how many of the Fifties & early Sixties pop acts

were of Italian descent or had members that were. Even Larry Vernieri from Joey Dee & the Starliters lived on my block.

I created this page just as a resource of what pre-Beatle groups had

members that were of Italian descent(I included The Reflections because I thought they rightly belonged to that pre-Beatle era).

It was not meant to be an exhaustive analysis, just a resource with links.

Note! If I am missing any groups/act, please Email me. I want to be as exact as possible, so if you see I was wrong

(for example, I thought Larry Chance was Italian(he's not) ),

please let me know. PORCAROCPU@Aol.com

• Peggy March -  Margaret Annemarie Battavio

• Danny & The Juniors -  Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova

• Bobby Rydell - Robert Louis Ridarelli

• Frankie Avalon - Francis Thomas Avallone

• Fabian - Fabiano Anthony Forte

• The Crests - Lead singer Johnny Mastrangelo

• Dion & The Belmonts - Dion DiMucci, Fred Milano, Angelo D'Aleo, & Carlo Mastrangelo.

• The Chimes -  Lenny Cocco, Pat DePrisco, Joseph Croce, Richard Mercado, Pat McGuire

• The Duprees - Joey Canzano, Michael Arnone, Joe Santollo, John Salvato, & Tom Bialoglow

• The Elegants - Vito Picone, Arthur Venosa, Frank Tardogano, Carmen Romano & James Mochella

• The Impalas - Joe "Speedo" Frazier, Richard Wagner, Lenny Renda, and Tony Carlucci

• The Mystics - Phil Cracolici, Albee Cracolici, George Galfo, Bob Ferrante, and Al Contrera .

• Randy & the Rainbows - Sal Zero, Mike Zero, Frank Safuto, Ken Arcipowski, & Dominick "Randy" Safuto .

• The Regents - Ernie Maresca, Chuck Fassert, Guy Villari, & Sal Cuomo

• Rosie and the Originals - Rosie Hamlin, David Ponci, Noah Tafolla, & Tony Gomez

• Vito & the Salutations - Lead singer Vito Balsamo, Ray Russel, Shelly Buchansky, & Frankie Fox

• The Angels- Peggy Santiglia, Barbara Allbut, Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut, and Linda Jansen

• Bobby Darin - Walden Robert "Bobby" Cassotto

• Connie Francis - Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero

• The Passions- Jimmy Gallagher, Tony Armato, Albie Galione and Vinnie Acierno.

• The Classics - Emil Stucchio, Johnny Gambale, Tony Victor, &  Jamie Troy

• Reparata and the Delrons - Mary Aiese, Nanette Licari, Regina Gallagher, and Anne Fitzgerald

• Joey Dee and The Starliters - Joseph DiNicola, Larry Vernieri, David Brigati, Carlton Lattimore, & Willie Davis

• The Demensions - Lenny Del Giudice, Phil Del Giudice, Marisa Martelli, & Howie Margolin.

• James Darren - James William Ercolani

• Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon - Frederick Anthony Picariello

• The Four Seasons - Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, & Nick Massi

• Nino Tempo and April Stevens

• The Mello-Kings - Jerry and Bob Scholl, Eddie Quinn, Neil Arena and Larry Esposito

• Lou Christie - Luigi Sacco

• The Bell Notes - Carl Bonura, John Casey, Ray Ceroni, Lenny Giambalvo, & Peter Kane

• Bill Haley & His Comets - Rudy Pompilli & Johnny Grande

• The Fireflies - Paul Giacalone, Richie Adams, Lee Reynolds, John Viscelli, & Carl Girosli

• The Knockouts - Bob D'Andrea, Eddie Parente, Bob Collada, and Harry Venuta.   

• The Royal Teens - Tom Austin , Billy Dalton , Larry Qualiano , Bob Gaudio , Bill Crandall

• Santo & Johnny  -Santo and Johnny Farina

• Connie Stevens - Concetta Rosalie Anna Ingoglia

• The Tempos - Mike Lazo, Gene Schachter, Jim Drake and Tom Monito

• The Reflections - Tony Micale, Phil Castrodale, Dan Bennie, Ray Steinberg, John Dean

• The Tornados - Clem Cattini, Heinz Burt, Alan Caddy, George Bellamy, Pete Newman, Pete Cotton.

• Dodie Stevens - Geraldine Ann Pasquale

• Ernie Maresca

• The Five Discs - Mario DeAndrade, Andrew Jackson, Paul Albano, Tony Basile, &  Joe Barsalona.

• The Aquatones - Larry Vannata, David Goddard, Eugene McCarthy, & Lynne Nixon

• Nino and the Ebb Tides - Nino Aiello, Vinnie Drago, Tony DiBari, Tony Imbimbo

If you have anything to contribute to this web page(or see a mistake), please contact John Porcaro at: PORCAROCPU@Aol.com