Romano Mussolini

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox person Romano Bruno Mussolini (26 September 1927 – 3 February 2006) was an Italian jazz pianist, painter, and film producer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was the fourth child and youngest son of Benito Mussolini.

Early life and education

Romano Mussolini grew up in Template:Ill, his family's residence in Forlì in Romagna.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He studied music as a child, playing classical pieces on the piano and accompanying his father, Benito Mussolini, who played<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the violin. After World War II, he started playing jazz under the assumed name "Romano Full".<ref name=Grove>Template:Cite Grove</ref>

Musical career

His playing style has been described as "like a slightly melancholic Oscar Peterson. Occasionally inspired, he was always efficient; he made the refrains run on time."<ref name="Romano Mussolini 2006">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Personal life

In 1962, Mussolini married Maria Scicolone, the younger sister of actress Sophia Loren. They had two daughters, Alessandra and her younger sister Elisabetta. Alessandra led a small Italian far-right party often described as neofascist, Alternativa Sociale. Romano Mussolini composed the party's official anthem, "The Pride of Being Italian".<ref name="Romano Mussolini 2006"/>

With his second wife, the actress Template:Ill, he had a daughter, Rachele Mussolini, named after his mother Rachele Guidi. The younger Rachele has served as a member of the city council of Rome.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mussolini was very reserved about his family history until the entry of the post-fascist National Alliance party into government following the 2001 general election.<ref name=Stille2006/> In 2004 he published a broadly sympathetic account of his personal recollections of his father, Il Duce, mio padre (translated as My father, il Duce: a memoir by Mussolini's son, alluding to the Fascist dictator's official title), including anecdotes of private confidences and discussions.<ref name=Stille2006>Template:Cite book</ref>

Death

Romano Mussolini died from heart problems in a hospital in Rome in 2006, aged 78.

Selected discography

• Mirage (1974)
• Soft & Swing (1996)
• The Wonderful World of Louis (2001)
• Timeless Blues (2002)
• Music Blues (2002)
• Romano Piano & Forte (2002)
• Jazz Album (2003)
• Napule 'nu quarto 'e luna (2003)
• Alibi perfetto (2004) – soundtrack

Books

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Mussolini's jazz pianist son dies from BBC News
• Singer Helen Merrill recalls Romano Mussolini
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• E' morto Romano Mussolini, il figlio jazzista del duce from La Repubblica Template:In lang