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had much better success with
Contino's "Lady of Spain" in 1952. Contino's song "Yours" was his first hit single. The song reached #27 on the U.S. pop charts in 1954. His second and only other hit single was "Pledge My Love." It reached #42 on the U.S. pop charts in 1957.
171:, he was unable to concentrate on his studies. Contino explained, "I enjoyed college, but while attending classes I kept thinking that if I was going to be a success, it would be my music that would take me there." He also played piano, clarinet, and saxophone.
274:
He was inducted into the army in 1952, having served four and a half months of his sentence. He was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant. Although he received a
584:, which is a mini-memoir and crime story based on Contino's experiences as a struggling artist after the war. It is included in the 1994 Ellroy short story collection
607:
The story was entirely fictitious as it features numerous incidents of violence and murder which
Contino had never been linked with or accused of in reality.
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191:
talent contest in Fresno which was broadcast on national radio. Contino also won first place in subsequent competitions in Los
Angeles,
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402:, a low-budget 1958 movie in which he starred as a faddishly-dressed beat rebel and singer, was shown on a third- season episode of
425:
He continued to perform regularly throughout the United States. His repertoire was eclectic, ranging from
Italian songs such as "
278:, the scandal dealt Contino's career a serious blow. He continued to perform, and acted in a few movies in the 1950s and 1960s.
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due to extreme, unpublicized phobias and neuroses. In 1951, he pled guilty to evasion and was sentenced to serve six months at
620:, performing at a mafia-financed Cuban exile military training camp ("Contino played 'Lady Of Spain' six thousand times.").
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magazine (Winter 1994) along with several photographs of
Contino and the author. Ellroy also penned a short story entitled
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Contino toured with the Horace Heidt
Orchestra and was billed as the "world's greatest accordion player." He appeared on
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Contino made many recordings from the latter 1940s to the early 1960s, particularly for
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Contino got his big break on
December 7, 1947, at age 17, when he played "
1001:. California, Santa Cruz. Associated Press. September 10, 1964. p. 5
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for 26 years. They had three children together. They lived in Las Vegas.
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Although he graduated from Fresno High School in 1947 and enrolled at
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219:. He won first place in the final round on December 12, 1948, in
948:. Indiana, Kokomo. Associated Press. November 9, 1951. p. 6
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Contino's acting became known to a new generation in 1991, when
148:. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Contino, and he attended
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781:"Fresno Accordionist Wins $ 250 Prize On Radio Talent Program"
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Contino died on April 19, 2017, in Fresno, at the age of 87.
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Dick
Contino, cited by Bove, Bob and Angellotti, Lou (1994)
995:"Dick Contino Finds He Still Fights The Battle Of His Past"
1033:"Famed accordionist, Fresno native, Dick Contino has died"
456:
132:(January 17, 1930 – April 19, 2017) was an American
16:
American accordionist, singer, and actor (1930–2017)
927:"Contino Offers to Enlist if Allowed to Get Well".
818:"Young Accordion Player Again Is Radio Test Victor"
750:. California, Fresno. December 15, 1947. p. 13
183:" (his signature piece) and won first place in the
898:. California, Fresno. February 2, 1948. p. 13
861:. California, Fresno. January 26, 1948. p. 11
787:. California, Fresno. December 8, 1947. p. 15
892:"Fresno Accordion Player Again Is Contest Winner"
855:"Contino Does It Again; Wins 8th Amateur Contest"
824:. California, Fresno. January 12, 1948. p. 9
744:"Fresno Youth Is Victor In Second Talent Contest"
690:. California, Fresno. January 5, 1948. p. 11
1093:
723:. Father and Son Publishing, Inc., Tallahassee;
684:"Fresno Youth Is Victor Again In Talent Contest"
654:"Dick Contino, Accordion Heartthrob, Dies at 87"
604:and featured Contino as the central character.
156:-based Angelo Cognazzo, and occasionally with
255:Contino's career was interrupted when he was
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590:. A version appeared in issue number 46 of
495:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
320:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
29:
721:Accordion Man: The Legendary Dick Contino
559:Learn how and when to remove this message
384:Learn how and when to remove this message
263:. He fled from pre-induction barracks at
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623:In 2012, a biography of Contino's life,
598:, which appeared in his collected work
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152:. He studied accordion primarily with
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942:"Contino's Parole Application Denied"
408:. The show also riffed the 1959 film
978:"Musician Contino Begins Army Hitch"
652:Sandomir, Richard (April 30, 2017).
493:adding citations to reliable sources
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318:adding citations to reliable sources
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1132:Musicians from the Las Vegas Valley
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250:
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1122:Musicians from Fresno, California
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457:Novella and other fictional works
1127:Actors from the Las Vegas Valley
1031:Tehee, Joshua (April 21, 2017).
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269:McNeil Island Corrections Center
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896:The Fresno Bee The Republican
859:The Fresno Bee The Republican
822:The Fresno Bee The Republican
785:The Fresno Bee The Republican
748:The Fresno Bee The Republican
688:The Fresno Bee The Republican
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139:
1077:NAMM Oral History Collection
405:Mystery Science Theater 3000
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625:The Beauty of Imperfection
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984:, Thursday, May 08, 1952
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616:, the first book of his
75:Fresno, California, U.S.
931:. April 23, 1951. p. 3.
449:Contino was married to
1112:American accordionists
1073:Dick Contino Interview
982:Albany Democrat-Herald
618:Underworld USA Trilogy
41:Background information
433:" to standards like "
427:Come Back to Sorrento
581:Dick Contino's Blues
489:improve this section
314:improve this section
244:The Ed Sullivan Show
169:Fresno State College
144:Contino was born in
999:Santa Cruz Sentinel
596:Hollywood Shakedown
587:Hollywood Nocturnes
276:presidential pardon
247:a record 48 times.
1117:RCA Victor artists
946:The Kokomo Tribune
659:The New York Times
439:Swinging on a Star
150:Fresno High School
146:Fresno, California
59:Fresno, California
627:, was published.
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251:Military service
221:Washington, D.C.
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56:January 17, 1930
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549:September 2022
508:"Dick Contino"
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374:September 2022
333:"Dick Contino"
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122:Richard Joseph
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504:Find sources:
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474:This section
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462:
454:
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451:Leigh Snowden
445:Personal life
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435:Lady of Spain
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299:This section
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217:New York City
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189:Philip Morris
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181:Lady of Spain
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154:San Francisco
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35:Contino, 1965
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1083:Dick Contino
1042:. Retrieved
1036:
1026:
1009:– via
1005:February 26,
1003:. Retrieved
998:
989:
981:
973:
956:– via
952:February 26,
950:. Retrieved
945:
936:
929:Toledo Blade
928:
923:
906:– via
902:February 26,
900:. Retrieved
895:
886:
869:– via
865:February 26,
863:. Retrieved
858:
849:
832:– via
828:February 26,
826:. Retrieved
821:
812:
795:– via
791:February 26,
789:. Retrieved
784:
775:
758:– via
754:February 26,
752:. Retrieved
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698:– via
694:February 26,
692:. Retrieved
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663:. Retrieved
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572:James Ellroy
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487:Please help
475:
448:
424:
420:The Platters
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312:Please help
300:
282:Later career
273:
254:
242:
240:
235:Eddie Fisher
224:
185:Horace Heidt
178:
175:Early career
166:
143:
136:and singer.
134:accordionist
129:
125:
121:
120:
71:(2017-04-19)
24:Dick Contino
18:
1107:2017 deaths
1102:1930 births
259:during the
231:Dot Records
162:Guido Deiro
158:Los Angeles
100:Instruments
80:Occupations
1096:Categories
729:0942407296
665:January 3,
639:References
601:Crime Wave
519:newspapers
411:Girls Town
344:newspapers
261:Korean War
213:Harrisburg
209:Pittsburgh
201:Youngstown
197:Des Moines
140:Early life
52:1930-01-17
1044:April 24,
476:does not
416:Paul Anka
301:does not
205:Cleveland
106:Accordion
574:wrote a
265:Fort Ord
86:Musician
1065:at the
576:novella
533:scholar
497:removed
482:sources
437:" and "
429:" and "
399:Daddy-O
358:scholar
322:removed
307:sources
257:drafted
160:-based
130:Contino
1079:(2006)
727:
592:Granta
535:
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514:
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360:
353:
346:
339:
331:
215:, and
109:vocals
89:singer
61:, U.S.
631:Death
540:JSTOR
526:books
365:JSTOR
351:books
193:Omaha
92:actor
1087:IMDb
1046:2017
1007:2018
954:2018
904:2018
867:2018
830:2018
793:2018
756:2018
725:ISBN
696:2018
667:2018
512:news
480:any
478:cite
418:and
337:news
305:any
303:cite
229:and
126:Dick
66:Died
46:Born
1085:at
1075:at
491:by
441:".
316:by
271:.
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857:.
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50:(
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