Editing Louis Prima (section)

==Early life==
Louis Leo Prima<ref name=clavin>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e9c_MzMA8kYC&q=%22Louis+leo+prima%22&pg=PA20|title=That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas|first=Tom |last=Clavin|page=20|publisher=Chicago Review Press|year= 2010|isbn=978-1-55652-821-7}}</ref> was from a musical [[Italian Americans|Italian American]] family in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]. His father, Anthony Prima, was the son of Leonardo Di Prima, a [[Sicily|Sicilian]] immigrant from [[Salaparuta]], while his mother, Angelina Caravella, had emigrated from the island of [[Ustica]] north of Sicily as a baby.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzitalia.net/articoli/louisprima.asp|title=Articoli: Louis Prima|last=Lo Cascio|first=Claudio|date=October 19, 2003|language=it|publisher=Jazzitalia|access-date=April 23, 2012|archive-date=May 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525021350/http://www.jazzitalia.net/articoli/louisprima.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> Prima was the second child of four; his older brother, Leon, was born in 1907, while his sisters Elizabeth and Marguerite were younger. Marguerite died when she was three years old. Leon, Louis, and Elizabeth were all baptized at St. Ann's Parish. They lived in a house at 1812 St. Peter Street in New Orleans.<ref name="Prima"/>

Prima's mother was a music lover, and she made sure that each child played an instrument. Louis was assigned the violin and started out playing at St. Ann's Parish.<ref name="Prima">{{cite book|last=Boulard|first=Garry|author-link=Garry Boulard|year=2002|title=Louis Prima |publisher=[[University of Illinois Press]]|isbn=978-0-252-07090-7}}</ref> He became interested in jazz when he heard black musicians, including [[Louis Armstrong]]. Italian immigrants, Italian-Americans, and African-Americans in New Orleans at the time frequently socialized together in the same clubs and bars. Local clubs tailored to the ostracized Italian community, such as Matranga's, Joe Segrettas, Tonti's Social Club, and Lala's Big 25, were all Italian-American clubs owned and operated by Italians; African Americans were always welcomed in these clubs and often played music and fraternized with Italians and Italian-Americans. Prima's interest in jazz was sparked while frequenting these clubs and observing black and Italian jazz artists playing together.<ref name="Prima"/>

According to author [[Garry Boulard]] in his book ''Louis Prima'', Prima paid attention to the music coming from clubs and watched his older brother Leon play the [[cornet]].<ref name="Prima" /> When Leon left the house to spend one summer in Texas, Prima practiced continuously on his worn-down cornet. He formed a band in 1924 with his childhood friends "[[Candy Candido|Candy" Candido]] (bass), Irving Fazola (clarinet) and Johnny Viviano (drums).<ref name="Prima"/>

Prima attended [[Jesuit High School (New Orleans)|Jesuit High School]] but transferred to [[Warren Easton Charter High School|Warren Easton High]], then a boys' school, in the fall of 1926.<ref name="Prima"/> At Warren Easton, he played with the "Eastonites", the school band. In 1927, he partnered with fellow musician Frank Federico and the pair played at "The Whip", a run-down [[French Quarter]] nightclub. By the spring of 1928, Prima decided he would become a professional musician.<ref name="Prima"/>