Early Life in Italy
Sergio was one of three children born to a Neapolitan father and Ligurian (Genoa) mother, Sergio, Mirella, and Fausta (born 17 years after the older two) were all born in the Lombardy District. This includes Milan, Cremona, and the smaller village of Codogno - where he was born. Some geographical over-simplifications resulted in listing Sergio's birthplace as Cremona, and Fausta's (Dana Valery) birthplace as "near Milan." Because the family also lived in Cremona, Franchi called both Cogdno and Cremona his "hometown" at different periods in his life. Sergio Franchi stated for the record several times in later life that his birthplace was Codogno, in the province of Lodi, An uncle who owned a vineyard in Alassio (near Sanremo on the Italian Riviera) was instrumental in family life on various occasions.
As a child, Sergio would sing for the family with his father, who played the piano and guitar. At age ten, he sang a comic role as a hunchback in a school play. Young Franchi formed a three-piece band at age sixteen to earn pocket money, and then later sang with a male vocal group in local jazz clubs. But,in spite of his musical talents, he soon followed his father's wishes that he pursue a career in engineering. Franchi pursued, but did not finish this training. The senior Galli had been a successful businessman who owned several shops, but lost all of his assets during World War II and the German occupation. After the war, he became friendly with a Captain in the South African medical corps who was stationed nearby. He soon followed the officer's suggestion that South Africa would be a land of more opportunity, and he immigrated to Johannesburg. The family followed in 1947 (Fausta was four years old) when Sergio completed his compulsory military service at age twenty-one.
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