The Washington herald., 1921-03-21
CRUSO,S LIFE
REPLETE WITH
MANY ROMANCES
Happy Marriage Culmi-
mates Series of Propo-
sails, However.

NEW YORK, March 2o.-Enrico
Caruso's voice has won him the
plaudits Of the crowd as well as
those Of the critics throughout the
world-but his Personal popularity
Is based almost as much upon the
human side of his career.
His humble ofigin-he was the
son of a peddler of Naples-his early
struggles and his later rise to ar
finally his romantic love affairs on
two continents appealed strongly to
the popular Imagination
Caruso's first performances before
the public at the Nuevo Theater in
Naples in 1894 netted him for four
appearances a pair of shoes. a pair
of tights. a neckerchief and lio
francs Last year at the close of
the Metropolitan Opera Company's
season he made ten appearances In
$4,000 a night.
While Caruso was still a young
and struggling artist in Italy he
became enamoured of a young and
beautiful Italian girl, Gilda Gia-
chetti. by whom he had two sons.
The couple later drifted apart and
the singer was sued by Signora
Gischetti for breach Of promise. The
suit was said to have been settled
for sloe.oco.
n. n. woman Sues Him.
Shortly after his early successes
in New York Caruso was hailed into
court by Mrs. Hannah Graham.
who charged him with annoying her
in front of the monkey house in the
Central Park Zoo.
Caruso, refusing to be turned
from his customary good humor by
such a trifing affair as a lawsuit,
amused himself in court by draw
ing caricatures of the witnesses, the
judge and the police-for he Is a
talented caricaturist
The trial came to an end, and
Caruso was exonerated-
Caruso became engaged to Emma
Trentini. prima donna, but the en-
gagement later was broken be
cause he was so fickle." and the
prima donna threatened to sue him
for 100000.
sued for 100000 by Miss Mildred
hchtEL IOE oIc6Cu VI PEOullEC- hC
father of q Milan shop girl also sued
him for bbreach Of promise. Caruso
was alleged to have proposed to this
girl the FIRST time he met her.
Other reported engagements of
the tenor were to Lillian Grenville,
a beautiful Canadian girl: to Mile.
Velasquez, a Partisan heiress. and
to Eleanor Schley. a wealthy Chica-
20 woman
Then in August, 1918, Caruso
startled New York society with his
surprise marriage to Dorothy Park
BENJAMIN. daughter Of Park Ben
jamin, prominent New York law
yer. and high in metropolitan So
ciety. The father was furious at
his daughters marriage.
Adoption Brings Peace.
When the elder Benjamin adopted
Anna Bolchi. an Italian girl who
was attached to his household. how
ever, q reconciliation took place be-
tween Mrs. Caruso and her brothers
and sisters.
Ckruso's family life is apparently
1913. a daugheer. Gloria, was born
to the tenor and his wife and the
great opera singer devoted his
golden voice during many hours to
singing lullabies to the healthy
infant.
Caruso's temperament caused no
rift in his domestic felicity. While
he was singing in Havana last year
jewelry~ valued at 100000 was
stolen from Mrs. Caruso's jewel box
at the tenor's Long Island villa
WREN apprised of the robbery by
cable he sent the following message
to his wife:
Not at all worried. Don't worry.
win replace all Don't think about
IL sgain. Enrico."
Jewels Never Found.
No trace of the jewels was ever
found. although police and private
DETECTIVES carried on a long investi-
CATION and several arrests were
made.
Caruso's last lawsuit was the ac-
tion brought by his chef. Signor
Ragozzino, for breach of contract
The chef was hired by the tenor be-
fore he left for Havana. Little
Gloria's oatmeal was not cooked
right. Signor Ragozzino served
spoiled calves brains and other
poor food, and altogether his ser
vice was unsatisfactory, according
to The testimony of Mrs. Caruso in
the suit. She discharged the chef
and he sued to recover his salary for
the period of the contract. The chef
won a judgment of $40.
The singers recent illness came
as the culmination of a series of
mishaps- While playing In Sam
son and Delilah" at the Metropolitan
a heavy piece Of scenery fell across
the singers chest when he demol-
ished the temple. Shortly afterward
he fell and injured himself during
a performance of "Pagliacci" Then
in the midst of a performance of
'TEisir d'Amore" at the Academy
of Music in Brooklyn he burst a
small blood vessel in his throat. He
sang once more at the Metropolitan.
but n few days later a cold which
he contracted developed into pleu-