Losing a class act

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Al Martino was in the studio recording Garth Brooks’ "If Tomorrow Never Comes" Oct. 12. That night, he and wife Judi met longtime friend Jerry Blavat for dinner at Le Virtu, 1927 E. Passyunk Ave. Blavat asked to meet his old pal the next night, as well, at Modo Mia, a Fishtown restaurant the two frequented.

"’If I can make it, I’m going to be there,’" Blavat said Mr. Martino told him. "I have a seat for him. I’m sitting there waiting for him."

But Mr. Martino never showed. Blavat called his cell, home and wife’s cellphone, but no one answered. Martino’s daughter Alison called Blavat later that night with the news.

The crooner whose likeness sits between Bobby Rydell’s and Eddie Fisher’s on a music industry mural of local greats at 1231 E. Passyunk died suddenly Oct. 13 at his home in Springfield, Delaware County, six days after celebrating his 82nd birthday.

"This guy was probably one of the most active guys I knew," Blavat said during a Tuesday phone interview from New York. "He was always lifting and doing things. Even the day he passed away, he was on a ladder and painting something."

And in the world of performing, Mr. Martino accomplished a rare feat — singing in the same key throughout his career, something only he and Sammy Davis Jr. were able to do, the disc jockey, whose friendship with the Point Breeze-raised singer dates back 55 years, said.

"To the very day they died, they sang in the same key," the former resident of 17th and Mifflin streets added.

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Al Cini, as Mr. Martino was then known, followed in his father’s footsteps at first, taking part in the family’s masonry business, but after a stint in the military as a teen, he started spending his nights at local clubs.

"He took control of the stage, [but] he was a very quite, unassuming guy," Frank Cavallaro, of Seventh and Jackson streets, said.

The two started talking one night at a bar at Broad and Wharton streets where Cavallaro was performing with his band. After striking up a conversation, Mr. Martino, who was originally from 15th and Tasker streets, asked Cavallaro if he could get onstage and sing a number.

"He came up and you know what? Once he got on the stage, you couldn’t get him off," Cavallaro said with a laugh.

During a move to the Big Apple, Martino shared an apartment with Fisher and comedian Guy Marks, who were both winners on "Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts." Following in his South Philly friends’ footsteps, Mr. Martino gave it a try, performing Perry Como’s "If." He took first place.

That performance soon led to a contract with a Philadelphia-based record company and his first hit, "Here in My Heart," which received a lot of play from DJ Barry Kaye at WCAU on City Avenue in 1952.

"Here I am on the radio, playing this record, and the switchboard lights up like a Christmas tree," Mr. Martino said in a 2005 interview with the Review. "He played the record every 15 minutes for six hours. It was the same thing the next night. That’s how my record became a hit."

Mr. Martino, along with that hit, soon went into the Guinness Book of World Records as the first American to have a No. 1 song on the British singles chart.

As his popularity soared, so did his profile — and it attracted some unwanted attention. Mr. Martino’s contract was taken over by the mob, forcing him to flee to England until the late ’50s. Upon his return, he found success with hits such as "I Love You Because," "Spanish Eyes" and "Mary In The Morning" in the ’60s.

Buddy Greco, a singer/pianist formerly from the 2000 block of Chadwick Street, didn’t know Mr. Martino growing up, but the two met numerous times throughout their careers. Their paths have crossed during stops in Atlantic City, N.J., Japan and Australia. About a decade ago, the two were in Boston for a benefit,

"Being from South Philly, I’ve know about him for years … We never really palled around, but he was a credit to the business and a really great singer," Greco said from his Palm Springs, Calif., home.

Mr. Martino also was known for his skills in the kitchen, he added.

"He would travel with cooking utensils from what I understand," Greco, 83, said. "He was a serious cook. It was a joy to sit down and have dinner with him."

Even with numerous hits, Mr. Martino is arguably best known for his Johnny Fontane character in the ’72 movie "The Godfather."

"I get reminded of that role on a daily basis," he said in ’06. "It’s nice to be remembered for that since I enjoyed that role very much. It’s a wonderful movie with so many legendary actors. I loved being part of that."

However, the role was not immediately his. Director Francis Ford Coppola wanted someone else, but Martino won out and reprised the character in the third installment in ’90.

Residents always cast him first as a singer, recalling his voice and the wonderful music he left behind.

Bob Burkhardt, of Jessup and Shunk streets, was fortunate to have met the musician at the Italian eatery Frederick’s, 757 S. Front St. Not only was he a genuinely nice person, he said, but he had a fantastic voice.

"The guy’s dynamite," Burkhardt said. "He was such a gentleman."

Eighty-year-old Sadie D’Antonio has been a fan since age 20 and will surely miss hearing Mr. Martino sing live.

"I saw him at every show I could get to," the resident of Seventh Street and Oregon Avenue said. "I’m sorry he’s not here because there’s nothing here for me now. We lost all the good singers."

In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Martino is survived by two other children, Alfred and Alana. His viewing and memorial service were last Friday in Broomall, but he will be buried in California, where he had his primary residence.

Blavat said Mr. Martino was a hero to locals.

"Al Martino, even though he was a national, international star, to people in South Philly, he was a native son," Blavat said.