Anybody remember Tony Dalli?

We used to live on Milnrow Road at Parson Cross and I was walking with my Dad towards Margetson Crescent, when my Dad suddenly saw this chap and started talking in Italian to him. My dad had been stationed in Italy in the RAF during the war. It turned out the chap he was talking to was Toni Dalli. That was in the early 1950's.

About 4 years ago i was working at a print firm in Rotherham. One day the managing director was showing a gentleman around the factory. i didnt know it at the time but this man was Toni Dali. It turns out the director had met Toni on holiday in Marbella and when Toni discovered where he came from, they became friends. A deal was struck with Toni to publish his biography which is available on his web site. I must admit i had never heard of him but on telling my aunt and uncle the story they said he was a terrific singer, very popular around sheffield and south yorkshire and was a big hit on the club circuit before America came calling. He made a point of talking to me on his tour of the factory and he seemed a genuinely nice man and i was very impressed by him. If anyone gets to read the biography it gives a very good portrait of sheffield in the fifties and will bring back a lot of memories of that time to a lot of people. his photographs are full of the big stars of hollywood that he associated with and makes fascinating reading. I hope he is fit and well he seems one of life's nice guys.

Yes Toni Dali had a restaurant in Marbella, I went in a few times when I lived on the Sol, he'd lost his voice by then and strained his guts to reach the notes. The Mayor of Marbella at the time was the same person who owned Madrid Athletico.

A school friend of mine also sang in the same style with Caterie ( sp ) being his staple diet, his name Derek ( piggy ) Astle. Anyone remember him?

By the way Dali used to treat his waiters like muck, the food was average and coupled with the noise he made a bit of an expensive non-event.

Toni Dali did work at the Hallamshire Steel & File.He worked in the Sheet Rolling Mill, I know I worked with him. Before that I think he was in the Coal Mines.

Yonks ago, I worked at the Grimesthorpe Steel Works which was part of the English Steel Corporation at that time. One of the men I worked with was a Sicilian by the name of Gaetano Barba. He travelled from Sicily to Naples and then travelled onto England by train. His companion on the train was Tony Dalli, during the journey they became buddies and both eventually went their seperate ways.

I remember Tony Dalli when I was a kid. He lived at my aunt's lodging house when he first came to Sheffield. It was over the Pizzuti's shop on Gibraltar St.She used to help lots of young Italian lads who came looking for work by giving them board and lodging. He started to be more well known when he won "Top Town" which was a talent spotting programme on TV.

Tony came to the Ardsley House Hotel some years ago and did a one night show, he had some of his waiters and musicians and it was a really great night.

I Saw Tony Dalli Many Times In The Fiftys At Manor Social Club.

Yes Toni Dali had a restaurant in Marbella, I went in a few times when I lived on the Sol, he'd lost his voice by then and strained his guts to reach the notes. The Mayor of Marbella at the time was the same person who owned Madrid Athletico.

 

A school friend of mine also sang in the same style with Caterie ( sp ) being his staple diet, his name Derek ( piggy ) Astle. Anyone remember him?

Some very nice comments about my father, except from you, he will be 75 in a few days time and take it from me can still hit a note and looks 15 years younger! I would like to see many of todays so called "masters" do the same at 75 most of them are dead. As for my father treating his waiters like muck, well you havn't a clue what you are talking about so best keep quiet! I do agree though that the restaurant has fallen somewhat from grace but that is only because my father gave the waiters the restaurant as a present when he retired 12 year ago and watched as they ran it into the ground. So if you had seen him angry with them then I can assure you as his son, it was justified! My father never stops talking to us about his life in Yorkshire and its lovely hard working people who really took him and many more Italians under their wing and made them feel at home and occasionally he talks of people like you who tried to make his life a misery whilst in the UK, it can only be jealousy! Personally though, luckily you are in the minority and I have only met the nicest people from Yorkshire and especially Sheffield and they are the true reflection of the North.

For anyone who is interseted you can watch my father on youtube, just search "Toni Dalli" and you can see a fantastic rendition of Mattinata. Any more questions, I would be only too happy to answer as I can ask the man himself

Finally a big thankyou to Yorkshire for making my father the good and great man he is today!