Edges rough where work settled into big hands

toiling on the lines of a face still handsome

much came of this one life, this one man

a father, a business man, a grandfather, a friend

Family of children, all four were girls

but they still did the chores like the boys he hoped for

a stepson to come home and be one of his own

a fisherman, an iceman, a bus driver, a boxer

Into all of us it was instilled that family is first

with a big family together making their way

hard times don't matter, it's good times that stay

a produce man, a store owner, a gardener, a dancer

Strumming his guitar and singing all day

to Lazy Mary and Louis Prima in his own special way

a joyful song was what he gave to we children around him

a gangster, a joker, a rebel, a teddy bear

Long nights in Brooklyn and Manhattan dancing away

the Roseland Ballroom was where they played

non-stop and on-top they won some awards

a partier, a lover, a charmer, a man

To this day whenever we sit down to eat

at another of our big Italian feasts

it's him that we think of and speak of with love

because we know that he watches with a wink from above