Guido Salmaggi, one of Hawaii’s best known and favorite Italians in his prime, turned 100 July 22. And how is the former opera singer from Brooklyn, N.Y, doing after hitting the century mark? “I’m still mowing the grass and tending to the plants and flowers,” he said Monday when I called him at his Sarasota, Fla., home.
He lives in a two-bedroom house with his second wife, Maria, who is a remarkable 103. He said she has to use a wheelchair now. Guido says he misses Hawaii and its people terribly. “There is no place like Hawaii,” he said. “If my wife was in good shape we’d catch a plane there tomorrow.” Guido’s dad, Alfredo Salmaggi, formed his own opera company and was the first to produce grand opera that ordinary working people could afford. Guido said tickets were 25 cents to 99 cents each at the New York Hippodrome in Manhattan that seated 5,300 people.
He said his dad’s opera company was the first to hire black singers. (Research shows that if the senior Salmaggi wasn’t the first to hire black singers he was definitely one of the first.) “He didn’t care what they were as long as they could sing,” said Guido. In 1933, Alfredo Salmaggi hired Caterina Jarboro, a black singer, to perform with his opera company. This milestone earned him special recognition from first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
Guido made his opera debut in his dad’s company at 21. He said Carl Reiner, 94, called to wish him a happy 100th birthday and sang him an aria by Pucci. Guido said Carl in his early years tried to sing opera in the senior Salmaggi’s company but didn’t make it and turned to comedy and films. In World War II, Guido was assigned to Army Special Services in Hawaii. After the war he returned to New York.
He made his way back to live in Hawaii in the early 1960s where he became honorary Italian consul. He was known as the guy to get to sing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” He sang the national anthem at Hawaii Islanders baseball games and other events as he had done nationally.
He sang it at Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers before the team moved to L.A. He was auditoriums director for Mayor Frank Fasi and was hired by Chris Hemmeter to be the “boss” at Spats Italian restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. Dressed like a mob boss and wearing spats, he “ruled” Spats for more than a decade. Handsome, personable Guido sold kisses at Spats on Valentines Day for $1 each. The cash went to charity. He proudly remembers selling 240 kisses on one Valentine’s Day. Carry on, Guido. You are a champ! …
STRUMMING ON: Two well known successful sons of Hawaii, brothers Sam, 94, and Fred Kamaka, 91, owners of Kamaka Hawaii, were honored by the Washington State University Alumni Association with its Achievement Award July 23. Both are graduates of the university, Sam in 1950 and Fred in 1951. The award recognizes the recipients’ community service as entrepreneurs and promoters of cultural heritage. It also honored them for passing on the tradition and values of a family-owned business.
Kamaka Hawaii started hiring disabled employees in 1955, during a time when physically challenged individuals were rarely hired because they were viewed as liabilities. The brothers’ dad, Sam Sr., founded Kamaka Ukulele in 1916. Fred still conducts tours of the Kamaka factory and Sam drops by to visit. Those brothers deserve hearty congratulations …
THREE ATHLETIC trainers from Hawaii, Glenn Beachy and Beth Ann Young of Punahou, and Cynthia Clivio from Kamehameha Schools have been honored by the regional Far West Athletic Trainers Association. Clivio and Beachy received hall of fame awards and Young received a Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer trophy. The awards were presented at the Hawaii Association of Athletic Trainers awards banquet July 15 at the Sheraton Kona Resort …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
