Physical description: Nick in receiving line with the Queen Mother, England 1975. Five men and a lady on the right, man with the Queen on left. Back, handwritten: Queen Mum with Sir B/D greets R to L Perry Como, Ray Charles, me (Nick Perito), Josephine Baker, Queen Mum & Sir Bernard Delfont, Palladium. Also on back, handwritten: Doug McKenzie Photographer 55 Doner Oack Park London SE23 15 A Tele:01-699-6464. See attached for similar image.
This photograph is a digital scan of an original photograph lent for copying during the Italians of Colorado project. The original photograph is not owned by History Colorado. The digital scan was donated with permissions (see permissions in Registrar's file) and accessioned into the History Colorado collection.
Project description:
In 2002, the Colorado Historical Society (now known as History Colorado) founded the Colorado Italian American Preservation Association (CIAPA). A volunteer organization, CIAPA’s mission is to work collaboratively with the Society and other organizations to develop, support and coordinate projects that preserve, promote and celebrate Italian American culture and heritage. Since 2002, CIAPA has carried out its mission by meeting with people from the Colorado Italian American community, recording their stories and creating an archive of research materials that includes oral histories, photographs, moving images, sound recordings and artifacts. To date, CIAPA has helped the Society acquire over 200 oral histories, 600 artifacts and nearly 6,000 photographs. Since 2002, CIAPA has developed over 4,000 research files, all of which document the history, culture and traditions of Italian American families in Colorado.
Notes:
See MSS.02595 Nick Perito files for additional information and images.
From the book Italy in Colorado:
Nick Perito
Nick Perito was born in Denver in 1924 to Rocco and Gerarda “Jennie” (Cominello) Perito. His father left Potenza, Italy in 1898 at the age of fifteen and after twenty-nine days on a ship in steerage, he reached New York City. Rocco then traveled for another three weeks by train to Denver where in 1903, he married Jennie Cominello, also a native of Potenza, Italy. The couple settled in north Denver at 3321 Osage Street where they raised four children, including Nick.
At the age of five, Nick Perito started music lessons with Ernest Bonvicini, a friend of his father. Soon, he was playing the accordion for family and friends at social occasions. In 1939, he took a job with KLZ, a radio station in Denver, playing accordion and piano in a trio known as the Yawn Patrolman. After graduating from North High School in 1942, Nick attended the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. An Army medic in World War II, he also played music with the United States Army Band. After the war, Nick attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York City and went on to work as an arranger, composer, conductor, and pianist. Over the years, he worked with artists such as Judy Garland, Dorothy Dandridge, Peter Nero, Ferrante and Teicher, The Ray Charles Singers, and Perry Como. Nick was also the musical director for Perry Como and in 1979, joined the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as the musical conductor of the "Kennedy Center Honors" annual television specials.
In addition to his many and varied accomplishments, Nick garnered eleven Emmy nominations for his work as a musical director in television, released several albums, wrote a score for a movie, and wrote a book about his life in 2005 titled I Just Happened to be There…Making Music with the Stars.
In 1949, Nick Perito married Judy Stone and together they had three children: Jennie, Danny, and Terry. Residents of California for many years, Nick and Judy often returned to north Denver to visit family and friends, and Nick performed at local functions. Nick Perito died on August 3, 2005.