Who were the Teardrops singing Italian songs?

Answer 1

An article with some interesting detail, and a couple of names:

Posted: Monday, January 31, 2011 6:36 pm

By MARTIN DeANGELIS Staff Writer |

Everybody called him Paulie Teardrop.

His real name was Paul Ciaurella, but even he called himself Paulie Teardrop after 30 or so years with The Teardrops. The group, which included his brother, Tony, started in the early 1950s in New York and specialized in traditional Italian songs.

Tony Ciaurella died in 1980. Paulie moved to the Atlantic City area in 1984 and kept playing his guitar and singing professionally until just last year. He lived in Egg Harbor Township's West Atlantic City section and died Jan. 14 at 76.

There was no obituary printed - a niece said Paulie never wanted one. But one of his close friends said that decision came with a cost for people who cared about him.

"Nobody knows he's dead," said Helen Bischoff, of Brigantine, who met Paulie at one of the casinos where he worked - most often as a strolling musician, serenading individual tables in upscale Italian spots. "And that's sad, because he would've had tons of people at his funeral."

Rita Stafford remembers doing a lounge gig at Caesars Atlantic City while Paulie was working upstairs in Primavera, the Italian restaurant.

"Anybody who knew him as a musician knew he loved music," said Stafford, of Linwood, who fronted the Rita Stafford Band. "His whole world was about music. And he would totally work the rooms - the people loved him. He had lots of fans, people who followed him. And they came in just to see him."

Paulie Teardrop knew plenty of famous musicians, too. His friends reportedly included Jerry Vale, Tony Orlando, Dean Martin and a lot more big names.

Anna Vourvahis, an owner of A Touch of Italy in Egg Harbor Township, said Paulie brought Vale, his fellow Italian crooner, to her place at least once. And she remembers Paulie doing his act there even when she didn't hire him.

"He'd sing, going from table to table, and he was just having a great time," she said - a mood that was often contagious. "The people were very excited, all clapping along with him."

Paulie's niece Nancy Bruckner said there were deep roots in The Teardrops singing along as a sort of side dish to Italian food. As a girl, she remembers going to the Bronx apartment of her grandparents - Paulie's mom and dad, John and Rose - for Sunday dinners.

"Always meatballs, macaroni and gravy, of course," she said

And when the food was finished and the women were cleaning up, Uncle Paulie would pick up his guitar, Uncle Tony got his Accordion and their dad grabbed his mandolin.

"They'd open the doors of their apartment, and I remember all the women in the building, dancing and singing in the hall," she said. "It was always a party when we were there."

Apparently, lots of people could say the same thing whenever Paulie Teardrop was making his music.