The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-11-25
GRAND OPERA IS
BEING GAMBLED
Singer Tells How He
Came to Land Among the
Worlds Best
GALLO TELLS STORY
Italian Youth Came to Amer
ica With IL Cents in Pockets;
Today in Big Company
ny FORTUNE GALLO
IL 49, N.,.. VayNr II.lAN

struggles and saves, studies by the
ntful candle, enduree rebuffs, but
triumphs gloriously In the end. II
my story were to be another OF that
llk nobody could be expected to read
the next paragraph.
But II isn't like that, and the rea-
son there is mention in II of that
original capital of IL cents possessed
by an Italian boy. II years old, who
/. arrived in New York in 1895 without
a relative or friend and with a
sketchy knowledge OF English, is to
throw light on one phase of this
hoys character. the gambling phase;
he was then, as now, always ready TO
take chance.
For it is the story OF the chances,
some them long shots. some Of them
winning out almost miraculously.
many of them hopeless from the out
set. that Fortune Gallo means to
write. He wishes to emphasize the
character that takes chances be-
cause II seems to him that the i'm
presario may be thus viewed from a
different angle. He may not appe.r
go glorious when the sad facts OF
his "shoestring" beginnings are told,
but that doesn't matter. | am not
writing to glorify anybody or any
thing.
SO 1 frankly admit that but for
that gambling spirit strong in my
lAood / should not have arrived in
Sew York with only two street car
farce, My people sent me away from
Tore Maggiore with plenty OF
money enough at least TO have made
me easy for few weeks in a for
eign city and enough to make me a
kind OF money king in the steerage.
But there we're men down there who
knew considerably more about card
games than | did. and as | could not
resist the lure OF chance the little
fund of HIRE that was to have ade
me comfortable in New York found
Its way into their pockets.
Never mind. Penniless as I was,
/ reflected at once the cheerful
aspect of New York. l smiled and
the persons i met smiled back at the
little Italian. On my first day ashore
] walked past bank in Mulberry
street, a bank with an italian name.
II looked grand 10 me then and for
a 'ew minutes l hesitated to go in
and ask for a job. Why should a
great banker employ me? Then the
gambling spirit rushed to the sur
face. | walked In and asked for the
pardon. l saw him, and, as he
came from some place on the Adri-
dlAI near MdSBlult ilt gave
me a Job. Three dollars a week.
Next a place as collector for the
gas company, s12 a week. Little
Fortune felt he was rightly named;
from nothing he had gone to great
riches
Quickly let me pass over these
first steps which interest nobody but
me- For about three years l lived
in the neighborhood of the once
famous Chief Devery's pump and
hadn't been there long before
knew the politicians around there,
republican and democratic l served
both sides but didn't proselytize.
among the Italian colony, and Dew
cry, as well as Fred Gibbs, reCog-
nlzed the value OF my services in
bringing out the Italian vote. Chiefly
these experiences We're useful to me
because they taught me to know
men, they led to nothing more defi-
mite. And all the time l was waiting
for a chance to get into music. At
last the chance came.
Into the Realm of Music.
Now | think l ought to tell you
that ] am not a singer and know
very little about music. At home
\ | had been taught the piano, and
= Ike most of my compatriots, l could
whistle airs from famous operas. In
spite OF these and other limitations
| felt ambitious to deal speculatively
in music, L had heard, as all my
countrymen did, the Banda Rossa,
which Claiming Ellery had brought
to America. Their first tour of the
country had been unsuccessful finan-
cially, and just before the second
tour l went TO Mr.. ElIery ans~asked
him to make me his advance agent,
do 1tf
| was full OF II. It was a gamblers
chance | took In approaching this
man with whom l was not acquaint-
cd | won. Mr.. Ellery sent me out
In advance OF the band 10 get en-
gagements for II. This was in 1901.
Well, l knew politics a little, |
knew men a little. l could smile, /
was making my livelihood, ! had no
I, crouch. There were people all over
'the country who were crazy for
music; my business was to find them
and to tie them up to contracts, In
! every little town there were organi-
a cations, Masons Odd Fellows, So
cieties OF every kind, and these all
needed money for something. BY
backing the Banda Rosa they could
get share OF what was taken in for
the concerts. II is an old game now
Tut II was new then and It succeeded
'-aTVelOusly.
That year we made money and Mr.,
L|'ery Zine manl gave me 10 per
cent on all business besides my sal
ary Next year he admitted me "a
partnership. | was with him four
years, Then | managed Creatore's
band. Fortune Gallo continued TO
hold fortune by the hand; gambler
Ha might be, but for a time he,had a
run Of luck.
Another chance offered still in
. music. The Lombard Grand opera
y company, a worthy institution, was
teNisting but no more. Bad luck fol-
Owed IL. | saw the directors and
after "A little parley l brought out
This bold statement:
What you need, gentlemen, is a
man like Gallo
Instead of treating this boast as 1t
deserved. that is contemptuously,
they recognized the speakers sport
ing blood and made a contract with
MIN, My salary was 10 be $3.50 a
week and one-thlrd Of the profits.
doubtless these gentlemen smiled
over the insertion Of the profits
clause. these had been so far away
But l stayed two seasons with the
lombard, 32 weeks OF one and 2S
weeks OF another. | took my salary
regularly ana at the end there were
profits.
Through the Portions WatcrS