The early beginnings
On May 27, 2013, Little Tony, an unforgettable interpreter of hits like “Riderà” and “Cuore matto”, nicknamed “the Italian Elvis”, died in Rome. Stage name: Antonio Ciacci, born in San Marino in 1941, Little Tony came to music at a very young age: at 16 he went to London, where he stayed for a few years, choosing his pseudonym there as a tribute to Little Richard
The controversy of Gino Paoli
During the last Sanremo Festival, little Tony’s name was at the center of a controversy sparked by some statements made by Gino Paoli. The Genoese singer-songwriter, a guest at the Ariston, embarked on an anecdote from the past that embarrassed Amadeus and Gianni Morandi: Little Tony “came to play cantagiro, then he came back home and he’s been with us ever since.” his wife together. “Lots of friends,” Paoli said, alluding to his wife Giuliana Brugnoli’s alleged betrayal. Words that unleashed the wrath of Cristiana Ciacci, Little Tony’s daughter, who said that speaking of a missing person was at least indelicate: “That what happened on the Ariston stage, what’s seen all over the world.” , it is a public offense in every respect and I request a public apology from my side, my family and all of Dad’s fans,” Ciacci said
The wifes
Little Tony’s first wife was Giuliana Brugnoli, a well-known and long-sought-after hostess in Ostia, until their marriage in 1973, as her daughter Cristina relates: “Mom was sunbathing in Ostia and he came up to her. He didn’t want to hear about it, even though he was famous. A close court case he resisted for six months, then they were together for 12 years.” Indeed, Brugnoli disappeared due to bone cancer in 1993 and her husband was close to her until the last moment. In 1999 the singer remarried Luciana Manfra, a chorister at his concerts: a marriage that caused quite a stir, since she is much younger, the same age as her daughter
heart attack on stage
He was on stage in Ottawa, the protagonist of a concert for the Italian-Canadian community, when he fell ill: on April 23, 2006, Little Tony suffered a heart attack, fortunately not serious. The show was interrupted and the singer was immediately transported to the hospital, where he made a full recovery
The causes of death
Little Tony died of cancer 10 years ago. He died on May 27, 2013 at the Villa Margherita clinic in Rome, where he had been hospitalized since March 16, a few days after his last TV appearance on March 9. According to his daughter, he didn’t want to tell anyone that he was ill “so as not to upset his audience”. His remains are in Tivoli Cemetery