Snapshots: Dean Martin's hometown sings his praises

Hey pallies, likes I am in awe pallies, yes awe at the 'mount of Dino-love that simply flows over the 'net each and every Dino-day. Today's Dino's amore comes from a dude tagged Charles J. Adams III, who wrote the followin' Dino-prose as a special to the Reading Eagle newspaper of Reading, PA.

Seein' such special Dino-homagin' purely and simply warms my Dino-heart to knows there are pallies like Mr. Charles J. Adams III liftin' up the life and times, the legacy of our Dino, and helpin' others to know of, groove on, and grow in their Dino-devotion.

True Dino-holics ought not underestimate the Dino-power of these simple tabloid Dino-articles and how our Dino will use 'em to win many many more to likes true Dino-addiction! Thanks to Mr. Adams for helpin' spread the Dino-message by singin' the praise of our Dino! To view this in it's original format, just likes clicks on the tagg of this Dino-gram. Dino-diggin', DMP

Snapshots: Dean Martin's hometown sings his praises

Special to the Reading Eagle: Charles J. Adams III

Growing up enjoying the singing, comedy and even the acting of Dean Martin, I reasoned he hailed from the mean streets of Brooklyn, Bronx or maybe south Philly.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that he was from the mean streets of Steubenville, Ohio.

Dino Paul was born to Guy and Angela Crocetti at 319 S. Sixth St. (now a vacant lot) on June 7, 1917, in the hardscrabble Ohio River city.

A mural in Steubenville, Ohio, pays tribute to native son Dean Martin.

He died on Christmas day, 1995, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

In Steubenville, he worked at a gas station, a couple of stores, a steel mill and a shoeshine parlor. He was (as "Kid Crochet") a fair amateur fighter and an all-around good kid. His friends and family often remarked about his good singing voice.

In his late teen years, during the Great Depression, he became a runner for bookies and bootleggers and a croupier and dealer at local gambling joints.

It was at one of those where a friend convinced him to take the stage and sing with the house band. He would never stop singing.

Details of his professional and personal lives are far too cumbersome to include here. Suffice it to say that his journey from Steubenville to the aerie of superstardom was not without turmoil and tragedy.

And after all, this is a Snapshot from Steubenville - where both Dino Crochetti and Dean Martin are remembered well.

An Ohio historical marker honoring him stands at Fourth Street and Dean Martin Boulevard. (Ohio Route 7), and one of the city's 25 murals depicts both Steubenville's Dino and the world's Dean - on the wall of a Kroger's supermarket.

And, since 1996, the city has been the site of the Dean Martin Festival, which raises money for scholarships for local music and art students.

This year's festival was held June 18 and 19 and featured appearances by Deana Martin, Dean's daughter and biographer, numerous tribute artists, a Dino Singing Contest and a meatball-eating contest.