Polci began publicly drumming on New Year's Eve 1966, at age 14, as part of a trio that often played music by much larger bands by vocalizing horn sections. He cited a wide selection of jazz, jazz fusion and hard rock albums as influences on his style. During his hiatus from the group in the mid-1980s, he formed a
power trio, The Funky Three, which was inspired by the work of
The Police. Their daughter, Olivia Valli, is now a musical theatre performer, including taking the role of her own grandmother in the musical
Jersey Boys that dramatizes the early days of the band. He was also married to Rhea Gay Chiles, daughter of late U.S. Senator and Florida Governor
Lawton Chiles and Rhea Grafton Chiles. Interspersed with performing with the Four Seasons, Polci arranged for
Barry Manilow for his television specials and did other musical work. After leaving the Four Seasons, he returned to college at Montclair State University in New Jersey and, at the age of 43, began a teaching career at New Providence Middle School. He also performed with the band he co-founded in 2007, 'The Hit Men' — fellow members included his former bandmates in The Four Seasons,
Lee Shapiro and
Don Ciccone. After a hiatus from performing following Ciccone's 2016 death, he resumed performing in 2023. == References ==