Group Members |
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Frank (Frankie Canta) Pirillo Frankie's Musical Bio Frank started his singing career at the tender age of 10 years old when one of the nuns asked him to sing in the School Boys Choir. While all his friends were altar boys, he spent after school time and some weekends singing hymns at Mass. As a freshman in high school, he hooked up with three other students and started singing acapella on the street corners in Corona Park in the Bronx. It was purely a fun thing. In 1963 he joined a band called the Magnatones and did many parties and dances while performing regularly at the Bluebird Lounge on Buhr Avenue in the Bronx. As a part-timer at New York Life, Frank met up with Jimmy Shust who he describes as “one of the finest bass/baritones I ever knew.” Two of Jimmy’s friends joined up and the Del Rays were formed. The Del Rays did a few dances and parties and were scheduled to have an audition with MGM records in December of 1965, but Uncle Sam had other ideas and Frank was drafted into the Army on December the 7th. Three years after he returned home from the service and hooked up with Jimmy again and started singing with friends from work, but it was strictly for laughs. After many years of just fooling around singing at barbecues and parties he joined the choir at St. Joseph’s Church in Lincoln Park and became the regular Cantor at the Saturday evening Mass. When Pete told Frank that he was going to start a group but couldn't find good personnel, Frank convinced him to join the choir where they hooked up with Paul and Alistair and started what is now Frankie Canta (made it more Italian) and the DreaMakers.
Paul (The Duke) Mahler Paul's Musical Bio Unlike Frank, Pete and Joe, Paul had absolutely no singing experience until joining the choir at St. Joseph’s church in Lincoln Park, NJ in the mid 1980’s. His first introduction to four-part harmony was singing Christmas carols and he learned by taping practices and drumming the tenor part into his head. By the time Frank and Pete joined the choir Paul thought he had learned the basics until the first few practice sessions with the DreaMakers. The harmony progressions so familiar to doo-wop singers became another challenge that while he has yet to master, has certainly come to enjoy. Joe (Big Joe) McHale Joe's Musical Bio Joe comes from a family of singers. As a kid he performed in various talent shows with his parents and brother and sister. He also sang in operettas, with school choirs, and as song leader and soloist in church. In his college days, Joe sang with the Seton Hall Men’s Choir for 4 years including concerts with the NJ Symphony Orchestra and with his fellow choir members even produced a pop record. As an adult Joe sang with his church choir for 4 years, coordinated the folk group for 7 years, acted as song leader for children’s mass for 6 years, led singing for Children’s Liturgy program for 7 years, and is currently singing at noon mass at St John the Evangelist. He joined Frankie Canta & the DreaMakers in February 2003 as a baritone as also sings lead and bass. Peter (Louie) Moscatello Pete's Musical Bio Pete Moscatello has been singing since he was in the eighth grade at PS 15 in Jersey City New Jersey. His friends, brothers Louis and Jerome Contey and Dennis Skipper, would hang out in Bayside Park and practice singing in harmony. The first song they learned was "Let It Please Be You" by the Desires. A song that was pretty much worn out by the time they learned their second song: "Cruise To the Moon" by the Chaperones. The group was called The Majestics and recorded one single on the WREN label called The Puppet. They performed at local dances, local street corners and at The Teenage World Fair at the long defunct Freedomland in New York. The Majestics stayed together until sophomore year of high school when Peter began singing with some friends from Saint Aloysius on the corner of West Side Avenue and Kensington. The original bunch included Tom Saal, Ed Gillis, John Flett, Kevin Crane and Mike Moran. Calling themselves the Aparells, they sang mostly in West Side Park, on the corner of Kensington and West Side and at many dances held at Saint Al's. At the same time, Pete had learned to play the guitar and joined the Vi-Tones, a rock band consisting of himself (rhythmn guitar and vocals), Pat Robinson (lead guitar), Brian Cunningham (bass/trumpet), Joh Flett (Drums) and John Gabor (rhythmn guitar). This group played locally at dances and parties. During Senior Year, Pete was tossed out of Vi-Tones for refusing to play Beatles songs and at the same time the Aparells lost Ed Gillis and John Flett and changed their name to the Delchords. This combination split after graduation and Pete went on to play in various bands during his college years at Jersey City State. To name a few: The Antics, Insanity and the Mad Men, The C-Men, The Love Machine, White Soul, and The Split End. Mainly the bands played in Hudson county at such places as the Venice Tavern in Bayonne and the Red Rooster in Union City. (And Oh yes, those fraternity parties at JCSC and Stevens Tech!) During this period Pete also played at lots of weddings with a band called the Galaxies. Pete sang with one vocal group during this period: The Chapels, consisting of Ray Marzullo, Carol Vuocolo and Rich Barbieri. In the seventies Pete rejoined his Saint Aloysius buddies and reformed the doo wop group. This time around he played guitar and was the primary lead singer (and second tenor) along with Kevin Crane on baritone, Tom Saal on lead/first tenor/second tenor, Mike Moran on bass and his sister Jude on lead and first tenor. They were joined by Pete's cousin Don Carnossa on drums and his good friend Charlie Colello on keyboards. The group was renamed the Kensingtons after the street where they attended high school. Although there were no recordings released during this period, there were tapes that were made in a studio in Bayonne (fondly referred to as the Bayonne Tapes). The group was a regular at the Orchid Lounge on Sip Avenue in Jersey City (featured in the movie Voices starring Michael Ontkean and Amy Irving). The group disbanded and over the years Pete sang with several vocal groups and bands until the ninties when the Kensingtons reformed. This time joining Pete were Jude, Kevin, Mike and Pat Cavelli. After a couple of gigs Pat left and was replaced by Anthony Vinci from the Casualaires (and many other groups). The group released a single on the West Side label with covers of He's Sure The Boy I love (Darlene Love) with Jude on lead and Image of a Girl (Safaris) with Pete singing lead. The group appeared live on Don K. Reeds Doo Wop Shop (WCBS FM NY) in 1992 where some of their recordings were played and of course they performed a few live acapella tunes. Shortly after that the group disbanded again leaving an unfinished CD. For the rest of the story see the history of the Dreamakers!
In 2006 Pete began jamming with his friend Frank Galardi, also from Lincoln Park.
Joining them were Frank's brother Ron and another of Frank's friends, Carmen Criscione. The jam sessions morphed into what is now the 60's performing garage band "Toys in the Attic": This lasted for about a year after which Pete and Nick left Toys in the Attic which continus today as a trio.
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Copyright 2004-2009
Peter J. Moscatello Jr. Site Last Updated: Monday, October 17, 2009 |
