Jimmy Roselli, American singer, died from heart complications he was , 85.

 Michael John "Jimmy" Roselli was one of the most significant Italian-American pop singers of his time,^[3] during an era of formidable competition from such performers as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Frankie Laine, Vic Damone and Jerry Vale died from heart complications he was , 85..


(December 26, 1925 – June 30, 2011)

Life

Jimmy Roselli's biggest and only pop hit was a remake of "There Must Be A Way", a song previously recorded by Joni James. It reached #93 pop (according to Billboard's pop charts). The song was recorded in 1964. The following year he had another hit with "Mala Femmena". It reached #43 easy listening (according to Billboard's easy listening charts). Those were his only US hit singles, although his version of "When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New" twice appeared in the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at #51 in 1983, and #52 in 1987.^[5]
Unlike Sinatra who embraced the mob, Jimmy Roselli refused their assistance (like fellow Italian American Jake LaMotta, whose life story was captured on film by Martin Scorsese in Raging Bull). Indeed, Roselli was relegated to selling his music out of the trunk of his car parked in Little Italy in Manhattan.
Jimmy Roselli is a favorite among Italian-Americans and his signature tune "Mala Femmina" is featured twice in Martin Scorsese's early classic Mean Streets. Unlike Sinatra who rarely recorded in Italian and could not speak his mother tongue, Roselli sang in perfect Neapolitan dialect. Other Neapolitan songs recorded by Roselli include "Core 'ngrato" and "Scapricciatiello."
A book in the late 1990s entitled Making The Wiseguys Weep: The Jimmy Roselli Story, was published by David Evanier who also published a book on the life of Bobby Darin - Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin.
Plans to make a movie based on Making the Wiseguys Weep starring John Travolta never came to pass.
He died in 2011 in Clearwater, Florida.

 

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