Aristide Coccaro

Aristide Coccaro (Cocci to all of us) was not actually related, certainly not son of Michael and Luba) but very much a part of the family. Born in Italy (Napoli I think), he was a flautist with the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra when he met Al Newman, who was a guest conductor, sometime in the 1920's. After a night of drinking, Al invited Cocci to come to New York to have "dinner at my Mother's"). Coccaro apparently took him up on his offer a few years later, and never left the family, until his death. He was Al's dearest and oldest friend, seeing him almost daily. He lived with the family some of the time as well.

Cocci told me that he was married to a "beautiful soprano diva" with whom he was "madly in love" but after a fight and a bout of drinking he sent her a fateful letter which ended the marriage to his perpetual regret.

He was a kind, gentle, incredibly handsome Italian gentleman, with a shock of white hair (at least when I knew him) and a beautiful Italian-style handlebar mustache. He loved opera, the flute, Italian food, and the Newmans, elder and younger (not in that order). He drank too much for most of his life--but I certainly never saw him be anything but gracious, kind and charming.

From my point of view, and probably it was the same for most of my generation, Cocci was the source of unconditional love and warmth, which is why I feel he should be included as family.