The most famous Don Giovanni of his time, he also sang the baritone
part in conductor Arturo Toscanini's last performance of Verdi's
"Requiem" in 1951, broadcast live on NBC Radio and later released on LP
and CD.
Children: son Marco and daughter Luisa.
Opera singer in the bass range.
When he was 18, his friends urged him to enter a singing competition in Florence; he won first prize. A manager in the audience hired him to sing the role of assassin Sparafucile in a production of Verdi's "Rigoletto".