10 Facts About Franco Ventriglia

Franco Ventriglia was an opera singer who sang bass in every major European opera house during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Franco Ventriglia returned to the US in 1978, where he continued to perform at venues including Carnegie Hall, and traveled to perform in southeast Asia, until his retirement in 2001 at age 79.

Franco Ventriglia was born on October 20,1922, in Fairfield, Connecticut, to Rosa and Salvatore Ventriglia.

Franco Ventriglia grew up on a vegetable farm and graduated from Roger Ludlowe High School in Fairfield in 1941.

Franco Ventriglia enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving in the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in the South Pacific during World War II.

Franco Ventriglia worked as an inspector at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut, and sang in local concerts.

Franco Ventriglia took singing lessons from Dal Monte and eventually made his operatic debut in Palermo, singing in the Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg.

Franco Ventriglia later sang with Luciano Pavarotti in La boheme and Rigoletto.

Franco Ventriglia performed in Samson and Delilah at La Scala, a performance he considered the highlight of his career.

Franco Ventriglia was buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield.