Frank Yaconelli

Biography

Frank Yaconelli migrated to the States with his parents when he was one year old. The family initially settled in Boston. Frank was the oldest of 12 siblings and had to quit school after finishing the 6th grade. He and a younger brother became "street musicians" to help with the families expenses. When WW I broke out, Frank - who was underage - joined the army and served in the 92 Aero Squadron flying primarily out of the UK. He became a naturalized citizen along with many other soldiers during WW I. After his service career, he moved to Hollywood and began his motion picture and vaudeville careers in the mid 1920s. He and his brother (Lou Yaconelli - aka Earl Douglas) had their own motion picture company in the 1920s but lost it during the depression and the advent of "Talkies!" He served in both WW II and the Korean conflict as a USO Tour Director and performer and took his Vaudeville Act to virtually all of the key areas of conflict that our service men were stationed. At one point, he spent six months in the same USO group that featured Bob Hope. He was given a Senate Resolution (posthumously) for "devoting a lifetime to unselfish service and entertainment to people all over the world and particularly for his many fine public services."