My Take
Al Martino is one of those figures who deserves way more credit than the casual music fan gives him. Born Jasper Cini in South Philly, he climbed out of a working-class Italian-American neighborhood and became the very first artist to hit number one on the UK Singles Chart with "Here in My Heart" back in 1952 — that's a piece of pop history most people don't even know. His voice was this warm, buttery baritone that sat perfectly in the tradition of the great Italian-American crooners, and "Spanish Eyes" alone should earn him a permanent spot in any easy-listening hall of fame. Then there's his turn as Johnny Fontane in The Godfather, which was small but unforgettable — the scene where he weeps to the Don captures something real about old-world pride and vulnerability. He passed in 2009, and the world lost a genuinely underrated voice.
Overview
Jasper Cini (October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009), known professionally as Al Martino, was an American traditional pop and standards singer. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as "one of the great Italian American pop crooners", and became known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Al Martino
- Name (Japanese)
- アル・マルティーノ
- Reading
- ある・まるてぃーの
- Born
- October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rabbit
- Origin
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / jazz musician / film actor / actor / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.