American singer, comedian, and actor Dean Martin were born Dino Paul Crocetti. One of the most memorable television actors of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the “King of Cool”. He became famous for doing comedy routines with Jerry Lewis in nightclubs. They later expanded into radio shows, television, and movies.
Once his work with Lewis ended, Martin pursued a solo acting and singing career. His best-known songs include “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” “Memories Are Made of This,” “That’s Amore,” “Everybody Loves Somebody” and “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You.”
Martin is a well-known member of the Rat Pack, a loose group of performers that also included Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra.
Martin started the television series “The Dean Martin Show” in 1965. It ran from then until 1974. Martin and other musical artists performed solo on the NBC comedy-variety program, which also featured various humorous bits. From 1974 to 1984, he served as host and roast master of the “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast,” a program that parodied actors, politicians, and other famous people.
In addition to his famous profession and time spent with the Rat Pack, Martin was also a family man. Eight children were born to him during three marriages. Deanna, one of his daughters, has revealed details about her father’s life and put some long-standing rumors to rest. Continue reading to learn more about Martin’s upbringing, professional background, lesser-known personal details, and how he interacted with his children.
Early Years: On June 7, 1917, Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio. His father, Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti, was an Italian native of Montesilvano, Abruzzo. Angela Crocetti, an Italian-American, was Martin’s mother. Martin learned to speak English at the age of five; he grew up in Italian at home with his family. He claimed he was bullied at Steubenville’s Grant Elementary School because of his poor English skills.
The star said he was smarter than his professors and left Steubenville High School in the tenth grade. Martin worked as a welterweight boxer, and a blackjack dealer in a talk easy and in a steel mill before entering show business. When he was 15, he began boxing professionally under the nickname “Kid Crochet”. He is said to have played in a total of 36 matches, of which he won 25. He broke his nose while boxing, which he had surgically repaired when he was in his early 20s.
After his brief boxing career, Martin began working as a croupier and roulette stickman in an illegal casino. At the time, he was also performing with neighborhood bands under the stage name “Dino Martini”, which he adopted after Metropolitan Opera tenor Nino Martini. Cleveland bandleader Sammy Watkins is credited with suggesting he change his name to Dean Martin when he began singing for him in 1940.
Martin began playing in New York in the fall of 1943. Soon after, he was drafted into the Army during World War II.
However, the Los Angeles Times reports that he was let go after 14 months due to a hernia.
Martin met comedian Jerry Lewis one night at the Glass Hat Club while they were both performing there in New York. They had a lot of fun working together. They quickly bonded and soon Martin and Lewis, a musical comedy, was born. The band performed as a unit for more than a decade until splitting up in 1956.
The two men decided to end their relationship but remained friends. In 2017, Deana, Martin’s daughter, told Fox News, “They stayed in touch. Jerry and my father shared a simple love for each other. Then I believe Jerry would have preferred to be closer, but my dad was always busy – if he wasn’t working, he was playing golf.
Martin was a gifted singer but had some technical instruction. Dean’s father was against her taking singing lessons when she expressed a desire to do so. As Deana recalled, he said, “Why? Do you want to sound like the other choir members? And I said, ‘That was weird.'” “First, get your own, find your voice,” he continued.
Look at the singing style you want. Then of course, if you want to improve you can hire a voice coach but for now, just sing your heart out.
The singer was not trained, but this did not prevent him from joining the famous Rat Pack. Martin’s vocal prowess was based more on instinct than reason. “Frank Sinatra was the one who turned the light on for me,” Deana told Fox. Frank, I asked, “How do you do it? Oh, I push from my diaphragm with a deep breath and I can tell if I’m going to be on the field or not before the tone goes out, he explained. Dad does it?” I asked.
“No, he has no idea what he’s doing,” he replied. He just does it.
Martin always put in a lot of effort and instilled a work ethic in his children. If you’re going to get a job, be there early and on time, he said, according to Dean. Hit each other, know your lyrics, and sing passionately.
Old Fashioned Values/ In 1941, while still a resident of Ohio, Martin married Elizabeth Anne “Betty” McDonald. Together, the couple had Craig, Claudia, Gail, and Deana. In 1949, they decided to divorce and Martin received custody of the children. He was a very loving and caring father who was strict at times.
In an interview with Fox News, Deana noted with a laugh, “He was an Italian father.” Those are the rules, he would say. You clean up after yourself in the morning, make your bed in the morning, come straight home from school, finish your schoolwork and arrive for dinner. It ends here. If you don’t want to follow their instructions, there is a door. I’d say, “Dad, I’m 9!” Come on, he would say. Standards are Standards! We never intended to disappoint him.
Martin taught his children to treat everyone equally and instilled in them good manners. And my dad can be with the British monarch or a vegetarian truck driver.
He was equally happy with both and was adored by all. And so he brought us up by teaching us to respect everyone and be straightforward — just be kind, Deana said.
Although there are many misconceptions about Martin’s behavior, the truth is that he put his family first. According to Deana, who spoke to the Los Angeles Times, “He was home every night for dinner.” “When he got home, he and his mom had a drink at the bar. He was kind. He was completely unrecognizable from what everyone assumed. Nobody could do Dean Martin as Dean Martin.”
Deana added that there were a lot of people who didn’t know about her father. He wasn’t a big drinker. People often come up to me after my shows and ask, “How could your dad do so much work if he was drinking all the time?” she joked, according to Fox News. My mouth is dropping. As a result of his trick! People always assumed he was a great actor, so it turned out to be true. But I still have to explain it. Martin drank apple juice during the performance!
Partying and drinking were part of the personality created by the experts. She told the LA Times: “When he started remaking his nightclub act, he started at the Sands Hotel and was assisted by some writers.” It was like Jack Benny making fun of being cheap and having the fiddle thing. Dad was very charming and gorgeous. They just said, “We’ll give him a drink and a cigarette.” Every man longed to be like him and every woman longed for his company. Martin’s bad boy fooled the world, but he was a family man.
Rare details/ Martin always preferred to visit his family when he was away from home. Deana revealed more about her father than just his traditional family ideals.
Deana replied, “They probably don’t know he was claustrophobic,” when Fox pressed her for some lesser-known details about her father. He didn’t feel like using the elevator. So no matter what hotel he stayed in—the MGM Grand or another—his suite had to be on a lower floor so he could easily climb the stairs. Martin is said to have referred to elevators as “little coffins” and actively avoided using them.
Martin also preferred playing golf, at least later in his life. “This one is well known and he loved to play golf. Just to get up early and play golf, he went to bed early. He even confessed to me and said, ‘Deana, the reason I work so hard is so I can play with all you kids and play golf.” At one point, Deana says, he was a scratch golfer.
Even his peers admired Martin for who he was. “Elvis (Presley) adored my father,” Deana noted. I remembered meeting Elvis, who informed me that my father was the king of cool. I’ll never forget it.
Another story about the meeting of Martin’s father with famous personalities was told by Martin’s daughter. “My dad went to a party and Paul McCartney was there,” she said. “He walked up to John and greeted him: Hi John, nice to meet you. I’m not John, I’m Paul McCartney, said Paul. Dad replied, “I call everyone John,” he answered. When he got home, he told me. “Dad, you’re embarrassing me,” I cried.
Martin’s daughter spoke openly about the career of an actor and singer to follow in her father’s footsteps. In an interview with Fox News, she claimed that Martin always encouraged her desire to act and that any advice he gave was meant to be helpful rather than harsh. Deana commented, “Maybe it’s because I’m a woman and he was a man; maybe that helped a little.
I always worked very, very hard, I continued. I have mastered my craft. I did this for a very, very long time. That’s why I have a good feeling of confidence in my abilities, I’m doing my best and I believe that I’ve achieved great success. I am happy and satisfied with all this. That’s why I never even thought of being compared to him.
End of the era Martin died on Christmas Day 1995 of severe emphysema-related respiratory failure. Deana noted, “I always think about my dad and what he went through in his life and how the world changed,” she concluded with Fox. He was a kind, selfless man who just got up and worked.
Martin said of his legacy in his own words: “I want to be remembered as a very good artist, nothing special. A talented artist who could make people smile and laugh. He was a great guy, I want you to believe. We adored him and he carried on very well. Hollywood Walk of fame honors the talented actor. He is considered a great father for his contributions to the entertainment industry.