Felix Cavaliere, the lead singer of the Rascals, will receive a national honor this weekend in Wisconsin, and yours truly played a small part in securing the former Young Rascal.
Cavaliere will be the honoree for the 2007 National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities Saturday at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva.
My role came totally unexpected last year working backstage at the Main Stage at the Wisconsin State Fair. Cavaliere was opening that Sunday afternoon for Johnny Rivers. Prior to the show, while I was near the front of the stage, a man motioned for my attention. He introduced himself, local attorney Joseph Alioto. Alioto was very polite and asked if I could get a message backstage to Cavaliere that his organization held this golf tournament and every year they honored an Italian and for 2007 they wanted to pay tribute to Cavaliere if he would accept.
Keep in mind, it is day 11 of a long, grinding, tiring State Fair. Working backstage, I have heard 11 days of stories. This person has a friend who has a cousin who once met the wife of the brother of the drummer and could he please get backstage. That kind of stuff.
However, I had already met Cavaliere and found him to be affable and very easy-going. Knowing that he was going to meet with several fans in a “meet and greet” backstage, I thought Alioto’s request could work.
“Why don’t I see if I can arrange to have you invite Mr. Cavaliere personally” I said to Alioto.
Alioto was ecstatic.
I walked into Cavaliere’s dressing room where I had met him earlier and found sitting in a large lounge chair. After briefly describing the situation and telling Cavaliere I believed it to be genuine, without hesitation he said, “Sure, send him in.”
When I went back to get Alioto, he had his young teenage son with him, apologized, and asked if his son could also be allowed backstage.
“Wait here,” I replied.
Back to the dressing room I went, Cavaliere gave another quick approval, and I ran out to usher Alioto and his son backstage.
I couldn’t just leave the two in the dressing room so I sat with Alioto during his entire conversation with Cavaliere, who, as he learned more and more, was flattered and very interested in the opportunity to be honored by Alioto’s group, of which Alioto is the treasurer. Alioto exchanged information with Cavaliere’s people and after about ten minutes, the negotiation as completed successfully.
Alioto must have thanked me what seemed a hundred thousand times on the way back to his seat.
Saturday, Felix Cavaliere joins a long list of past honorees of the National Italian Invitational Golf Tournament for Charities.
The impressive roster includes:
ALAN AMECHE
EDDIE ARCARO
SAL BANDO
CARMEN BASILIO
GINO CAPPELLETTI
BILL CONTI
VIC DAMONE
JOHNNY DESMOND
JOE DI MAGGIO
DENNIS FARINA
VINCE FERRAGAMO
JIM FREGOSI
JOE GARAGIOLA
TOMMY LASORDA
RON LUCIANO
JOE MANTEGNA
ROCKY MARCIANO
MARC MAROTTA
ROLLIE MASSIMINO
WILLIE MOSCONI
PHIL RIZZUTO
BOBBY RYDELL
CARMEN SALVINO
RON SANTO
FRANK SINATRA
PAUL SORVINO
JERRY VALE
JIM VALVANO
PHIL VILLAPIANO
KEN VENTURII'm very pleased good fortune allowed me to connect with Joseph Alioto, a very nice gentleman.
Congratulation, Felix Cavaliere! It was sure nice meeting you!
I enjoyed watching and listening to you
back then and I still enjoy watching you
now!DON’T WANT A BIG INCREASE IN YOUR SCHOOL TAXES? CONTACT FRANKLIN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS NOW.
