Mario Lanza (Born Alfred Cocozza)
January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959
Mario Lanza was an American tenor vocalist and actor who was a household name during the ’40s and ’50s. He was arguably the biggest opera draw of his generation as well as a direct influence on Luciano Pavorotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. He transitioned to film in the late ’40s, starring in The Midnight Kiss, The Toast of New Orleans and The Great Caruso. Lanza was the first artist ever signed to the RCA Victor label as well as the first to two and a half million albums. Ailing in his later years, Mario Lanza died of a pulmonary embolism at just 38 years of age.
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