Staten Island USA

  • Home
  • BP James Oddo
  • News
  • Events
  • Initiatives
  • Resources
  • According to Jim
  • Social
  • Contact/Report
  • Budget
  • Home
  • BP James Oddo
  • News
  • Events
  • Initiatives
  • Resources
  • According to Jim
  • Social
  • Contact/Report
  • Budget

BLOG

The Ambassadors of South Beach: Vito Picone and the Elegants

8/10/2016

 
Picture
The following blog post was written by our staff member Emil Micha about his teenage memories of Vito Picone and the Elegants. 

Staten Island in 1957-58 was a pretty isolated borough with limited connections geographically and culturally to the world at large.  I was a sophomore at New Dorp High School that fall and winter and rock ‘n roll, the music we loved, was in its infancy – barely 10 years removed from the swing music of our parents. We found in it our identity, as we explored who we were and who we were becoming.

Vito Picone was a senior at New Dorp, and his fledgling singing group, the Elegants, used to practice their harmonies in the "echo chamber" courtyard of the school. They were often heard between classes - and sometimes during classes. Doo Wop singing groups were ubiquitous in those days: SIRT train stations, school stairwells, the boy’s bathroom  – anywhere a group of teenagers gathered, sooner or later you'd hear a few bars of whatever top -10 song was charting at the time.
But our music came mainly from the radio. It was the era of the rock ‘n roll disc jockey.  Cousin Brucie, Murry the K, Alan Freed, Jocko Henderson, all served up what we couldn't get enough of.  The local groups, like the Elegants and dozens of others, performed at the church dances and school hops.  So when we heard that the Elegants had signed with an actual recording label, we could hardly believe it. Vito and his group were still at NDHS, but things thereafter happened very quickly.

I believe their very first release was "Little Star," and as we all witnessed, the record got immediate and omnipresent airplay. You could not turn on an AM radio without hearing the mellow harmonies of our Vito and his South Beach buddies crooning "oh meee o meee o my-y-y-y"
We (all my friends) were thrilled that "one of our own" was an actual rock ‘n roll celebrity.
We were glued to our black & white TV's to watch as Vito and the boys made an appearance on the most popular teenage dance show of them all...American Bandstand, hosted by Dick Clark. The Elegants dutifully lip-synced their number one nation-wide hit "Little Star," then repaired to the interview corner for Dick to quiz them on their meteoric rise to the top of the charts.  We all hung on every word they uttered; here on national television were our Ambassadors of Arrochar and points south.

"So" said the smooth Mr. Clark, "Just how did you choose your name 'The Elegants'?" There was a silence. They all looked dumbfounded.  Clark was getting uneasy.  He thrust the mike in front of Artie Venosa.  Venosa suddenly found his tongue.
"Jeezus, I don't know!" he said.  

We all cheered!

Picture
Please join us for "Home Sweet Home," a doo-wop concert featuring Vito Picone and the Elegants, with opening acts Lina Fiscardi and The Expressions. The free show will take place on Saturday, August 20th at 7pm at Midland Beach Splaza (Fr. Capodanno Blvd. and Seaview Avenue). ​
    Picture
    You’re following us on Facebook and probably see our tweets, but this blog is an opportunity for us to get a little more in depth on the issues on the minds of the folks at Borough Hall, specifically BP Oddo. The blog is published regularly and with you – our readers and constituents – in mind.
    ​Enjoy.

    Insider Archives

    March 2019
    January 2019
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    Authors

    All
    Allison Cohen
    Chris DeCicco
    Dr. Ginny Mantello
    Emil Micha
    Frank Santarpia
    James Oddo
    Jennifer Sammartino
    Laura Timoney
    Lexey Chandler
    Nikki Marra
    Renee Sarno
    Rose Kerr

RESOURCES
​
​Helpful Links
Local Government
Borough Board
INITIATIVES
​
​Clean Up SI
​
Culture & The Arts
​Economic Development
Education


​Health & Wellness
Infrastructure
Parks
Substance Abuse


​The Heart Project
Tourism
Transparency
Transportation
CONTACT

​BP Assist Mobile App
BP's Office
Staff Directory
Internships
About Us
Privacy Policy
Office of Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo  •  10 Richmond Terrace  •  Staten Island, NY 10301  •  718-816-2000
Picture