At the recent Long Island Accordion Alliance (LIAA) event on June 6, 2018, in attendance for the first time, was a former accordionist, James Anglisano. After some cordial greetings our discussion turned to the accordion and his past involvement with the instrument. 

Photo: (left to right) Dominic Karcic, James Anglisano, Mary Tokarski and Ray Oreggia

What really roused my interest and attention was the fact that he had been friendly and associated with several past presidents of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA). These included Elise M. Bennett, Joseph Biviano, Pietro Deiro Sr. and Carmen Carzozza.

A Brooklyn, NY native he started studying the accordion at the age of seven at the Pietro Deiro Accordion Conservatory in lower Manhattan. His teacher was the celebrated accordionist Carmelo (Carmen) Carrozza. James studied the accordion for about five years and also spent some time studying with Joe Biviano (1953). 

Eventually he started teaching at the Bennett Music School in Brooklyn, NY (1948 – 1951). The school probably had about two-hundred accordion students at that time and the accordion teaching faculty included Elsie M. Bennett, John Doll, Ben Israel, Hugo Nati and Kate Starr.

Elsie M. Bennett became his close friend, mentor and eventually he began attending, as a “junior board member,” the regular meetings of the American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) at a Greenwich Village, NY restaurant (1949 to 1951) with Ms. Bennett.

Moving on from teaching at the Bennett Music School, Mr. Anglisano taught privately and at some point had well over forty students getting $3.00 for a half hour lesson. He also played in various bands in the local club date circuit.

He served in the USA military in the mid to late ‘50’s doing a tour in Korea. While there, beside his military duties, he also served as a non-commissioned assistant to the entertainment director of the Eight Army Special Service Unit and also performed at various military venues in and around Seoul, Korea.