Romano Mussolini, 1927-2006

What do you do if you're the child of the fascist dictator that allied himself with Adolf Hitler? You play piano, of course. Romano was the last surviving child of Benito Mussolini.

Of interest:

Romano was married to Anna Maria Scicolone, the sister of actress Sophia Loren.

He started his music career in Naples under an assumed name, but reverted to his real name in the 1960s when his All Stars ensemble won critical acclaim.

He played with jazz greats including Dizzie Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Chet Baker.

SOMEWHAT RELATED: Speaking of Italy, I'm currently reading John Berendt's The City of Falling Angels, which is mainly about the Fenice opera house fire in Venice.