Early life and career Antonio Giuseppe Franchini was born to Ercole, a
fishmonger, and Genney Franchini in
Naples, Italy, on August 2, 1898. His family moved to
Boston, United States, in 1903. Ferera asked Franchini to be his recording partner in 1920. During their association, the duo of "Ferera and Franchini" typically recorded four to six sessions every single day. and diversely performing Spanish music in Victor's ethnic catalog. This period of activity was financially a time of great prosperity for Franchini. In-between tours with Busse he played with the
Phoenix Symphony and the El Paso Symphony orchestras. He moved to
Las Vegas in the 1970s, where he became an activist for the
Republican Party, campaigning for
Ronald Reagan and
George H. W. Bush and volunteering at election day polls into his 90s. Franchini worked in many casino orchestras, and in his 80s also supplemented his income as a strolling violinist for local Las Vegas restaurants. In 1983, he re-arranged "
The Star-Spangled Banner", as he felt the song too difficult to sing for most people. The
Nevada members of the United States Congress presented this arrangement to three presidents in hopes it would be considered. His last musical engagement was as a mandolinist as part of a trio while in his 90s. Franchini died at the age of 99 on September 17, 1997, at a Las Vegas hospital. He is buried at Veterans Memorial Cemetery in
Boulder City, Nevada. His scrapbooks and other memorabilia were donated to the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas. ==Personal life==