Respected musician who was one of the first bop pianists. He wrote Lemon Drop and Godchild, both bop standards.
He joined Dizzy Gillespie's combo in 1943, which was the first bop group to gain exposure on New York's 52nd Street.
He retired in 1960 and began working in his family's air-conditioning business. He would emerge 24 years later with three albums of newly composed material.
His family relocated from Sicily to the United States in 1925.
He toured with Lionel Hampton's big band in 1953.
