The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, January 4, 1962, page 3 (of 19)

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Mike Still Trying, Wants to 'Fill a Place on the Wall'

By JOE C. MORRIS Correspondent On Oct. 23, 1944 a German ambush pinned down a large group of retreating American infantrymen after they had crossed the Moselle River in northern France. A German sniper, sighting down his rifle barrel, squeezed the trigger. And 20-year-old Michael Angelo Commini, who had just raised his head to "see how far ahead the others were, caught the bullet just below the temple on the left side of his head. It blinded him . . . for life. Today, 17 years after 'it happened' Mike, who operates the newsstand in the Gables postoffice, has only one ambition in life. He wants to be "discovered." "I want to become famous as an Italian tenor," he says, "and all I need is the right break." When he was shipped to the Army School for the Blind in Avon, Conn., in '44 he spent 14 weeks studying Braille, journalism and music. "That was the turning point in my life," Mike said as he talked about his past. "The music room, at the school, was directly below my shower room. And naturally when I take a shower, I sing. "Grace Laughton, the music teacher and a real peach, sent someone up to find out who belonged to the voice. She and I soon became good friends and she started me studying music seriously. "One night a few years later Mr. Sabatini, conductor of the Trenton, N. J. Symphony heard me sing at a benefit. He came back stage and asked me to permit him to arrange an audition with Enriquo Rozati. Imagine! asking me to 'permit him' to arrange an audition with the greatest voice teacher in America. "Well, I studied under Rozati for three and a half years. And everytime I walked out of his studio I knew I'd had a lesson. He was 73 years old when I started but he knew his stuff. "The maestro was a teacher of many great singers," Mike said, fingering the pile of pennies in his open cash drawer. "He had pictures of all of them on his walls. Lawrence Melchoir — Mario Lanza and many, many others were there. "One time he said to me, 'Ach! you tink somebody you are Mike. But nobody you are until you fill — a place on the wall.' "He's 87 now. He has my picture and the frame. And it's always been my goal to fill 'a place on the wall'. But now . . . I don't know. Although selected by the Miami Conservatory of Music, in 1960, as Singer of the Year, (classical division all-Florida contest) Mike at 37, is beginning to feel that his chances for the big time are running out. "Someone better come along soon if I'm going to be . . . discovered," he says. Standing behind his candy counter, waiting for customers to purchase postal cards, envelopes or cigarets, Mike hums Italian Arias, runs a scale or — unable to contain himself — bursts out with snatches of songs that sometimes startle the stamp-window sellers. "I rehearse an hour and a half every week with an accompanist," he said, . . . "just in case."

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VARSITY BARBER SHOP

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BISCAYNE EXTERMINATING SERVICE

Highland 6-6401 3555 S.W. 29th Terr. Miami

IN THE RED BIRD SHOPPING CENTER IT'S BELK'S STORE WIDE JANUARY SALE

IN THE RED BIRD SHOPPING CENTER IT'S BELK'S STORE HOURS 9:30 A.M. TILL 9:00 P.M. CLOSED SUNDAY MO 1-4248 Belk's Home of Better Values STORE WIDE JANUARY SALE DRASTIC REDUCTIONS 50% SAVINGS AND MORE-IN MOST DEPTS. BELK'S RED AND BIRD RDS.