MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Steven Maglio, Vocalist

Steven Maglio was born in East Harlem, New York on December 25, 1958 and he moved to the Bronx in 1966. A late starter, Steven Maglio's professional career began in 2002, at the age of 43, as lead male vocalist for Joe Battaglia’s New York Big Band, playing numerous dates at New York City's "Tavern On The Green" and "Rainbow Room."

Steven Maglio is NOT an impersonator, but he's so reminiscent of Frank Sinatra in voice and style, that audience members, requesting mostly Sinatra songs of him, consider Steven to be the world's premier Frank Sinatra tributeer.

Vic Damone overheard Steven Maglio singing live and said to his friends in amazement,
"I thought they were playing Sinatra's records."

Steven has also been hailed by Johnny Maestro, Pat Cooper, Brad Garrett, Dennis Farina, Danny Aiello, Lisa Lampanelli, New York Magazine, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, most of the cast of "The Sopranos," and The Sinatra Society Of Japan, just to name a few.

He has performed at Feinstein's at The Loews Regency Hotel in New York, The Sands and Hilton Hotels in Atlantic City, The Paris Hotel and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and with The Symphony Orchestra Of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, as well as The Blue Note in New York with Monty Alexander and Delfeo Marsalis, The New York Hilton with The Bill Gulino Orchestra, and The Dolphin Hotel in Florida's Disney World with The Duke Ellington Orchestra.

Every Saturday evening since 2004, backed by the 11-piece Stan Rubin Orchestra,
Mr. Maglio has been selling out his two critically acclaimed shows, "Remembering The Sands" and "Sinatra Songs," at The Carnegie Club on West 56th St., across from Carnegie Hall.

Steven Maglio’s CD, "Songs For Sinatra Lovers,” includes a voice / guitar rendition of "Nancy, With The Laughing Face," featuring the legendary Bucky Pizzarelli.

Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman chose Steven to be the official singer of "The Danny DeVito Limoncello Song," which advertises Mr. DeVito’s lemon flavored liqueur.

In films, Steven Maglio has starred as a Sinatra-like character in the short film, "Frank & Alice,” and as nightclub entertainer Joey Garone in “Once More With Feeling,” starring Chazz Palminteri, Maria Tucci, and Drea de Matteo, featured at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

Steven can be seen singing the title song in Dante Liberatore’s docu-drama “The Last Resort,” while being accompanied on piano by the song’s author Bill Gulino, and Steven’s version of the Cahn / Van Heusen standard, “The Tender Trap,” can be heard in the Kate Hudson / Dane Cook romantic comedy, “My Best Friend’s Girl.”

Maglio is a proud member of The New York Friars Club, The Screen Actors Guild, The Society Of Singers, The Manhattan Association Of Cabarets & Clubs, and The National Italian American Foundation.

What is the most common compliment paid to Steven Maglio?
"If Frank Sinatra could hear you sing his songs, he'd be proud."

Peachy Deegan sat down with crooner Steve Maglio to introduce him to Whom You Know!

Peachy Deegan: What inspired you to go into the entertainment field?
Steve Maglio: A love for all the popular standard songs and singers. It's a great club to belong to.

Did you sing growing up?
Just for fun, but never on a stage.

If you could listen to only three Sinatra songs on repeat, what would they be and why?
It would be difficult to choose my favorite 300, let alone my favorite three.
This is one of the questions most asked of me and I sincerely can't answer it.

Of all of the places you've performed where is your favorite spot to be on stage and what do you like about it?
By far, The Carnegie Club. I love the intimacy, the great Stan Rubin Orchestra, and the fact that there's smoking allowed gives the whole room that old nightclub feeling. You can't sing saloon songs in an antiseptic atmoshere.

If you could do a duet with anyone, who would you like to do a duet with?
In the 1960's, Sinatra did a TV special where he and Ella Fitzgerald did about a 15 minute medley in front of a small, live audience. I always wanted to do a similar type routine. I thought I could recreate that same feeling with Natalie Cole. I hope she starts feeling better real soon. Maybe it could still happen.

Who have you been most impressed with among the entertainers you've worked with?
Monty Alexander, who used to play piano in Jilly's when he was 19 years old, is the greatest of all jazz pianists. He asked me to join him in his Christmas show at The Blue Note a few ago.

What is your favorite place to be in NYC?
The Carnegie Club and The Friars Club

What is your favorite shop?
Colony Records on 49th and Broadway

What is your favorite drink?
Johnny Walker Red Label with water

What is your favorite restaurant?
I have few. Patsy's on W.56th, Il Cortile and Casa Bella on Mulberry St., Madison And Vine on 41st, any Palm Restaurant, and Rao's in East Harlem.(NO. I can't get anyone a table)

What is your favorite NYC book?
The Godfather. The references to the old New York Italian neighborhoods bring me back to my childhood.

What is your favorite thing to do in NYC that you can do nowhere else?
The Broadway Shows

What do you think is most underrated and overrated here?
The people are underrated. New Yorkers are not as nasty as they're made out to be on TV and in the movies. Nothing is overrated. Everything is better in New York.

What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
I’d like everyone to visit my friends at Danny's Upstairs Comedy on Wednesday nights at The Gaslight/G2 Club on 9th Ave. at 14St. It's hosted by Rick and Danny Aiello and it's a great time. There’s a link for it on my website at www.stevenmaglio.com.

How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
E-mail is best:
stvnmaglio@yahoo.com