14 Facts About Enzo Stuarti

Enzo Stuarti made regular stage and television appearances, and was featured in commercials for Ragu spaghetti sauce.

Enzo Stuarti's parents fled Italy for the United States when Benito Mussolini came to power; but he was left behind with an aunt who placed him in the Monte Cassino Abbey, where he was raised by monks.

Enzo Stuarti joined his family in Newark, New Jersey in 1934, where he finished school and worked with his father, a baker by trade.

In 1940, Stuarti joined the United States Merchant Marine and was assigned aboard the Liberty ship SS Charles Pratt, a Panamanian-based tanker.

Enzo Stuarti survived the attack and after his service in the Merchant Marine, he returned to Italy for voice training in order to pursue his ambition of singing professionally.

Enzo Stuarti studied for a time at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Enzo Stuarti began reworking his voice and focusing on a career as a semi-classical vocalist.

Enzo Stuarti's debut album, We're Not Strangers enjoyed moderate success, but it was a last-minute engagement at the Plaza Hotel's Persian Room that began to get the singer noticed.

Well recorded and well produced, the album helped to establish Enzo Stuarti's standing as a vocalist and night club performer, and he considered the performance to be one of the high points of his career.

Where Mario Lanza was a genuine operatic artist though, Enzo Stuarti was vocally most comfortable with the popular, semi-classical repertoire, supported with vocal amplification.

Enzo Stuarti released over 30 recordings for several labels, including Jubilee, Epic, Columbia, Roulette, Diplomat, and Spin-O-Rama.

Enzo Stuarti needed the income and applied, driving professionally for a brief period.

Enzo Stuarti developed a passion for cars, eventually owning several hundred.

Enzo Stuarti retired in 2004, and died December 16,2005, in Midland, Texas.