DIED
October 07, 1959

PROFESSIONS
Actor
SOMETIMES CREDITED AS
Alfred Arnold Cocozza
BIOGRAPHY
Powerful tenor Mario Lanza (born Alfred Coccozza) studied singing from childhood, and in 1942 gained an audition with conductor Serge Koussevitzky; as a result, he won a scholarship and appeared at the Berkshire Summer Festival in Tanglewood. He was soon signed to a concert tour contract by Columbia, but the tour was interrupted by his World War II service. After his....
Powerful tenor Mario Lanza (born Alfred Coccozza) studied singing from childhood, and in 1942 gained an audition with conductor Serge Koussevitzky; as a result, he won a scholarship and appeared at the Berkshire Summer Festival in Tanglewood. He was soon signed to a concert tour contract by Columbia, but the tour was interrupted by his World War II service. After his discharge, MGM signed him to a film contract and he starred in a number of tailor-made musical vehicles, beginning with That Midnight Kiss (1949). For several years he was greatly popular; his muscular appearance and powerful voice won many fans, and his rise was rapid. However, personal problems and his struggle with obesity led to a dramatic, quick decline in his career. By the late-'50s he was appearing only in minor films. He died at 38 from a heart attack.

~ All Movie Guide


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