LOU MONTE

Born Louis Scaglione on April 2, 1917, Italian-American guitarist, songwriter, singer, and crooner Lou Monte gained lasting recognition for the Italian-themed novelty songs he recorded for RCA and Reprise Records during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Over the course of his career he also released material on the Roulette, Jubilee, Regalia, Musicor, Laurie, and AFE imprints. He began performing in New Jersey clubs, interrupted that work to serve in World War II, and resumed club appearances after his discharge. Those performances led to a radio program on Newark’s WAAT, where he refined his style before moving into television. Monte joined the RCA Victor roster and scored his first hit in 1954 with a version of “Darktown Strutters’ Ball.” The million-selling “Pepino the Italian Mouse,” released in 1962 and delivered in a Jersey-inflected blend of Calabrese and English, established the pattern for the string of singles and albums that followed. Among them was “Dominick the Donkey,” which became a perennial Christmas favorite, especially within Italian-American households and secured Monte’s enduring place in pop history. He died in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1989.