Evening star., 1937-08-15
TORONTO HONORS NAVY BAND
Washington Musicians to Appear Canadian Exposition and
Broadcast During Period--Service Bands and Their
Popular Leaders of the Past

corded them during the days when
John Philip Sousa led the Marine
Band, for even he was not then rated
as commissioned officer. and many
OF his men were enlisted as just ordi-
nary privates. But after Sousa was
permitted to retire from the band, and
after Santelmann succeeded Fanciulli,
Santelmann was given commission
and the leader now has the rank OF
captain.
You have often heard it said how
strolling band OF Italian musicians
was shanghaied aboard a Government
vessel and brought to this country In
order to form a Marine Band. OF
course, this it literally not true but
they were undoubtedly misled. since
those who engaged them to come to
America had not the legal authority
to do so.
According to the Marine Corps rec
ords, William Farr was the first leader
OF the band. his definite services hav-
Ing started January 81, 1899, and
ended November %, 1904.
AS early as IT'S the Marines had
some sort Of music to march by, for
We are told that the recruiting for
the corps, shortly after November 10
OF that year. was done with fife and
drum, the latter bearing a picture
of rattlesnake. and under it the
well-known motto, Don't Tread On
Me" which is used today on the drums
OF the Marine Corps. No doubt they
were seen by the followers of former
Kaiser Wilhelm when our boys OF the
Marine Corps made their famous
charges, which established even more
than ever this arm Of Uncle Sans
military service.
HOWEVER, this little handful OF
musicians under Drum Major
William Farr did not quite suit the
musical taste OF President Jefferson,
although they had successfully enter
tanned President John Adams during
his short stay IN the White House.
But Adams was not musician,
whereas Jefferson was violinist and
lover of music, and saw much room
for improvement.
Thus. when he came into Office and
was thrown into the company of Col.
BarroWs, the band was frequently the
topic Of their conversation when out
horseback riding together and upon
one occasion, the President, in his
oVeraealousness, is said to have even
suggested that 1t would be a good
idea to enlist some musicians in italy
as Marines, and bring them back to
the United States and to have two
handsome American and the other
Italian. Naturally the commandant
was anxious to please the President,
and so, in 1903, he directed Capt. John
Hall, who went out with Preble's
Squadron, to enlist some musicians
and to bring them home.
Capt. Hall, upon arriving in the
Mediterranean, met an Italian pro-
fessor named Gaetano Varano, whom
he tried to induce to come to America.
but this he declined to do, suggesting
40 a llhcly SUBSTITUTE, N1deIduO CdIuSO
'afterward spelled CarusD Of Catania,
Italy, The captain, we are told,
visited Catania, and on February IT.,
1905. enlisted Gaetano Carusi, re-
garded as captain OF the band; his
two sons, Samuel and 1gnaZio, aged
10 and 8 years. respectively; Francisco
Pulizzi, Felizzi (Felix) Pulizzi. Ven-
erando Pulizzi, aged IL; Michael Sar-
do. GaetAno Sardo and 10 others
Lewis Carusi. very young son Of
Gaetano Carusi. was also brought
along, though not enlisted.
This band Of Italians and their wives
and children-which included, besides
those mentioned, Dominica Guarn4-
cias, Joseph Papa, Salvadonia Sauria.
Pasquale Sauria, Gicomo Sando, Ig-
nazio de Mauro, Antonio Palermo and
Corano i2noulle-immediate went
aboard the frigate Chesapeake and
participated in the War with Tripoli,
finally, on September l9, 1905, arriv-
ing at the Navy Yard in this city