Dear Readers,
Damon Lanza, son of famed tenor and “American Caruso” Mario Lanza (1921-1959) left us suddenly of a heart attack, on August 16, 2008 at Harbor UCLA Hospital in Carson, California. Mario and Betty had four children, one born every two years starting in December of 1948 with Colleen, followed by Ellisa in 1950, Damon on December 12, 1952 and Marc in 1954.
All were born in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Damon Lanza was named after a favorite writer, Damon Runyon. Mario said that Damon Runyon’s birth name was Alfred, same as his birth name, so they should take this as a good omen. Thus, Lanza’s first son was named Damon. Damon Lanza, a native Californian, spent all his adult life perpetuating the name of his father, Mario Lanza.
Together with his best friend since 1963, Bob Dolfi, he traveled the world visiting all of his father’s fan clubs and provided fans with new information, found in his father’s unopened boxes, some in storage since 1959 when Mario passed away of a heart attack (October 1959) in Rome, Italy.
Damon Lanza and Bob Dolfi were also business associates for over twenty years. Damon and Bob invested in several restaurants in the Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes Estates areas. With the expert help of Marlene D’Attanasio, the Barquero Restaurant in Palos Verdes was opened. The restaurant, overlooking sunny Catalina Island had a spectacular view of Palos Verdes Shores.
At the Barquero Restaurant they promoted Mario Lanza and had top singers such as Aaron Caruso (chosen to play the role of Mario Lanza on Broadway, hopefully soon) and Dominic Mantuano, America’s tenor, fly in from New Jersey to perform. The restaurant also provided a performance venue for neighborhood schools, allowing students to perform in public and use Mario Lanza’s piano.
Always with the goal of promoting his father’s legacy, Damon, with Bob and Marlene, created the Lanza Legend Newsletter and later began a website www.mariolanza.com, allowing Mario Lanza’s international fan base, from over 20 countries with over 50 thousand hits per month, to personally connect.
Damon Lanza always tried to attend the Mario Lanza Institute Ball, which raises money for music scholarships and was begun by fans in Philadelphia in 1962, and held the first week of November every year in Mario’s hometown of South Philadelphia, at the Double Tree Hotel on Broad and Locust Streets. Without much fanfare, Damon was always ready to greet his father’s fans with a big smile, a warm handshake and an autograph when requested. He had the patience of a saint and like his father, always made you feel important. He was a genuinely kind man and always had time for you.
Damon had a wish, to one day right all the misinformation and injustices against his father and mother. He and Bob traveled to Europe on several occasions to seek out any and all information they could find and authenticate for their future book, “Be My Love – A Celebration of Mario Lanza.”
Armed with the facts they did indeed write that book in 1999 and were invited to appear on two TV shows in San Francisco with Jan Wahl, entertainment editor for KRON-TV, to launch their book. Damon lived an uncomplicated lifestyle. He was comfortable just being himself, living for the moment. Never, ever did he utter an unkind word about anyone and even handed out money to the more unfortunate on the streets, when asked, for his credo was “there but for the grace of God go I.”
Yes, Damon was the best ambassador in promoting the voice and memory of his father. Now he is gone, but not forgotten. He fulfilled most of his dreams, but not all. The one dream he did in fact manage to recently fulfill was to release a new edition of his first book with Bob and Marlene called “Be My Love – A Continued Celebration of Mario Lanza”, adding new celebrity stories and archival pictures. This new book has a “debunking” section which addresses the myths and misinformation that formed over the years.
A must-read book, it was launched in July, just one month before Damon’s sudden passing. The book includes a CD featuring tenor Mario Frangoulis, who recently gave a Mario Lanza tribute concert in Greece and released a tribute CD, singing “Non ti scordar di me.” This CD has since gone Gold. They were proud also to include an interview on the CD with famed soprano Ms. Licia Albanese who sang with Mario in the movie ‘Serenade’.
She lovingly speaks about Mario ‘the man’ and how it was to work with him professionally. The book, with CD included, is available from the Lanza Legend for $40.00 post paid. Ironically, Damon worked hard to get his last book completed and ready for his Mario Lanza exhibits at the Milwaukee and Rhode Island festivals. He met the deadline but collapsed just weeks later.
Yes, The Lanza Legend Newsletter and website will continue. It will never be the same without Damon but his presence will always be with us. Bob and Marlene have agreed to continue their labor of love promoting Damon’s father, but it won’t be easy. Damon was the pillar of the team, while Bob and Marlene were the glue holding it together. The Lanza Legend website and newsletter staff works on a voluntary basis, for no pay.
Donations to Damon’s Lanza Legend support the preservation of Lanza archival material and help defer mailing and internet costs. They do it for the love of Mario Lanza, and now also for Damon. Contact them at dlanza622@earthlink.net or write to Lanza Legend, P.O. Box 6742, San Pedro, CA 90732 for newsletter or book.
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Attenzione Italian American organizations’ officers: I think your members would enjoy viewing Mario Lanza’s films, as well as listen to his recordings at a Mario Lanza event. On e of my favorite is “The Seven Hills of Rome.” Mario Lanza, after leaving Hollywood to make a home for his family in Italy, made the film “The Seven Hills of Rome” in 1957.
MGM agreed to finance and distribute the movie, which was well received by the public. It is a delightful musical comedy and color travelogue of some of Rome’s prettiest sights and scenery. Mario plays Marc Revere, an American TV star who is in Italy trying to repair his ruptured romance with socialite girlfriend (Peggie Castle.) In Rome, he takes up residence with his cousin Pepe Bonelli (portrayed by the popular Italian singer/comedian Renato Rascel) and meets a lovely local lass, thereby reducing his rekindling efforts.
A highlight of Seven Hills occurs when Marc sings Rascel’s composition “Arrivederci Roma” with an authentic Roman street urchin and a sequence in which Mario demonstrates his propensity for impressions as he performs impersonations of popular singers. The Seven Hills of Rome and other Mario Lanza’s films are available from Netflix or some local video stores.
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