Al Martino – “Spanish Eyes” (1966) Tribute

Al Martino (born Alfred Cini, October 7, 1927 — October 13, 2009) was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid 1970s, being described as “one of the great Italian American pop crooners”, and also became well known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather. Alfred Cini was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were immigrants from Malta who ran a construction business, and while growing up he worked alongside his brothers as a bricklayer. However, he was inspired to become a singer by emulating artists such as Al Jolson and Perry Como, and by the success of a family friend, Alfredo Cocozza, who had changed his name to Mario Lanza. After serving with the United States Marines in World War II, including being a part of the Iwo Jima invasion where he was wounded, Cini began his singing career. Encouraged by Lanza, he adopted the stage name Al Martino, taken from his mother’s maiden name, and began singing in local nightclubs. In 1948 he moved to New York City, and in 1952 won first place on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts television program with a performance of Como’s hit “If”. The record’s success led to a deal with Capitol Records, and he released three more singles — “Take My Heart,” “Rachel,” and “When You’re Mine” — through 1953, all of which hit the US Top 40.[1] However, his success also attracted the attention of the Mafia, which bought out Martino’s …