Strolling along the streets of Little Italy, it is not unusual to see banners with photographs of famous Italians. What is unusual is to see banners of Bobby Darrin, Lady Gaga and Claudio Jacuzzi. Usual or unusual, these too, are Italians.
Most people are comfortable seeing banners of such well known Italians as Frankie Laine, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Frank Sinatra, but most people may not be familiar with other Italians who either don’t have Italian names, like Darren, Lady Gaga or Jacuzzi, whom people may not recognize.
Bobby Darrin was born Walden Robert Cassotto, the son of Vanina Julette Cassotto. He was born in the Bronx, New York, and changed his name to Darrin later in life.
Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta, now known as Lady Gaga, was born in Manhattan, New York. Noted for her elaborate, colorful, and diverse contributions to the music industry via her fashion, live performances, and music videos, she has secured a global album, single sales of 27 million and 125 million, respectively, as of June 2014.
Candido Jacuzzi was an Italian immigrant to the United States where he invented the Jacuzzi whirlpool bath for his 15-month-old son, Kenny Jacuzzi, who was born with rheumatoid arthritis. He developed a pump that enabled a whirlpool to be created in a bath as a hydrotherapeutic device for pain relief. Candido claims to have invented the first self-contained Jacuzzi tub and to have filed the first patent for it.
There are other honored Italian Americans gracing the streets of Little Italy, some well-known and some not so well-known. The Little Italy Association launched its Legends campaign approximately five years ago, on the birthday of entertainer and celebrity Frankie Laine. The Program was to promote and honor prominent Italian Americans tied to the local community. Laine was very popular in the early 30s, rising to fame with his bestselling recordings of, I Believe, Mule Train and My Desire.
Since then, Laine has released a respectable 100 albums over an impressive 80+ year singing and entertaining career.
He often frequented Little Italy’s restaurant scene soon after he took up residence in Point Loma in the 1960s. According to his longtime friend, producer and manager Jimmy Marino, Laine was particularly fond of the Italian dishes at Busalacchi’s, Trattoria Fantastica, Po Pazzo and Spaghetteria.
“Frankie loved Little Italy and frequented it often,” Marino said. “His gold record for ‘I Believe,’ which was his all-time highest-selling album, is hanging at Po Pazzo; he gave it to Joe Busalacchi for Po Pazzo’s opening.” It was Marino who first approached the Little Italy Association about honoring Laine, and the association expanded his idea into the full-fledged Little Italy Legends program.
“It is important for [the Little Italy Association] to raise awareness about Italian Americans and mainstream their names,” said Chris Gomez, the association’s district manager. “We want to help people understand that Italians are not all the ‘Sopranos;’ they are not the ‘Godfather.’ They are about family, culture, arts and history.”
The first honoree, Frankie Laine, was a huge supporter of the Little Italy neighborhood and local businesses, like Busalacchi Restaurants. On March 30th, groups of Frankie Laine fans and colleagues came to dedicate the first Little Italy Legends plaque with music, prayer and food. His plaque is mounted to the right of the entrance of Café Zucchero.
The second honorees were Sal & Rose Cresci. One of the pinnacle families in the history of San Diego’s Little Italy; these two and their children have helped guide Little Italy,– San Diego into a new direction by maintaining some of the original single family dwellings and converting them into successful and vibrant retail spaces.
The Cresci Family has served this community in many ways and we, the Little Italy Association, say “thank you.” Their plaque is located on the South wall of Nelson Photo Supplies.
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