Formative years Lucas was born into an
Italian-American family in
Newark, New Jersey on August 22, 1897, his parents hailing from
Ariano di Puglia,
Campania. He had eight siblings, five of whom surpassed their formative years. His father, Otto, a landscaper and
tree surgeon, was illiterate in English, although he was able to speak it; owing to his poor health, the family had relocated to the country—particularly
Silver Lake—around 1900. A year subsequent, he tasked his son, Frank, a renowned
accordionist, to teach the young Nick, then known as Dominic, a musical instrument. Since he was "too small to comfortably handle a guitar or banjo," the
mandolin was deemed to be a suitable alternative for the young boy. By 1905, Dominic had developed a routine comprising both his academics and musical pursuits, the latter used as a means of assisting his family with respect to income. Consequently, he was unable to receive adequate sleep and thus was prone to sleeping through his classes. Lucas once made an extended eight-month tour of Australia when he was on the road. In the mid-1970s he came to the attention of a new generation, being heard on the soundtracks of a handful of period films, after he was chosen to record the vocal refrains for
The Great Gatsby. As of 2026, Nick Lucas has had one of the longest singing careers ever, spanning 69 years. == Personal life ==