Former Mobster Girard Honors Jimmy Rosseli in the Blogosphere

The latest post on Sonny Girard's Mob Blog, which is part of his larger website Sonnys Mob Social Club, is a tribute to the recently deceased crooner Jimmy Rosseli, who never reached the heights of Sinatra's success -- some say this is because he refused "help" from Cosa Nostra; others say it is because he had a nasty streak and managed to bring out the worst in those around him. And one of our commentators writes, "Jimmy never reached Sinatra's heights because his repertoire was so heavily Neopolitan and therefore failed to impress a crossover audience. But because of his benefactors, he always worked."

Sonny usually writes about people and events with which he has some sort of personal connection, filling his writings with a greater degree of intimacy than is typical, which is exactly the case with Rosseli.

This tribute is written by a professional writer, who lived the life and was personal friends with Rosseli....

Sonny writes, Jimmy Roselli died last week. If not for the technology that preserves music beyond a mortal’s lifetime, we would have lost some of the best Neapolitan vocals of the past century. Though ten years younger than Frank Sinatra, Jimmy was brought up just a few doors from him in Hoboken, New Jersey. His greatest inspiration, as he always reminded us, was his grandfather. His Neapolitan love songs always kept his grandfather alive in him. As I listen to him singing now, I’m brought back to scattered memories of my own that he always evokes.

Jimmy was popular among mostly Italian-Americans at a time when the community was repulsed by the transformation of traditional values to the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll of the Sixties. He gave them a link to their values of the past that was much more visceral than Sinatra, who was also idolized by the community, ever did. Sinatra gave you beautiful sounds and memories; Roselli reached inside you and permeated every cell; evoked emotions that made you cry with joy. The title of his 1998 book, “Making the Wiseguys Weep,” tells it all....

Comments

  1. e San Su San and Copa say it all. Jimmy sang at the wedding of Michael Franzese, and owed hs career to Sonny. Jimmy never reached Sinatra's heights because his repetoire was so heavily Neopolitan and therefore failed to mpress a cross over audience. Bt because of his benefacters he always worked

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