‘That’s Amore!’

Newly formed group would ‘love’ to see life-sized bronze statue of Dean Martin become a reality

STEUBENVILLE -- A life-sized bronze statue of the "King of Cool" is what a newly organized group hopes to see erected outside the Historic Fort Steuben Visitors Center and unveiled at the Dean Martin Hometown celebration in 2023.

But there's work to be done before that can happen -- namely generating awareness about the project and raising money to move it from dream-to-reality status.

The statue honoring Steubenville's native son is the brainchild of former Steubenville resident Gerald Ravasio of Baton Rouge, La., according to childhood friend Flora VerStraten-Merrin, media chair for the committee that Ravasio is chairing.

"The dream of having a Dino statue began with Gerald," VerStraten-Merrin explained. "He contacted me and asked me if I could help and would like to chair a committee to raise funding. While I love Dino, I explained that I didn't have the time to lead the committee, but I would be willing to help," she said. "So, Gerald's idea was born and between he and I, we contacted a few people in the community and formed the committee. For the past two months, Gerald has set up committee meetings, and we have been meeting through Zoom every week since," she added.

Aside from Ravasio and VerStraten-Merrin, the committee includes Steubenville Mayor Jerry Barilla; Paul Zuros, executive director of Historic Fort Steuben; Mary Ann Freeze, owner of Prodigal Daughter Treasures and Trinkets in downtown Steubenville; Steubenville 5th Ward Councilman Willie Paul; and volunteers Linda and Roger Hilty.

Rose Angelica, who chaired the Dean Martin Festival Committee and Scholarship Fund for 21 years, and Jo Jo DiAlbert, the owner of the Spot Bar in Steubenville where Dean Martin festival events have been a staple, are advisers.

"Since Gerald and Rose live out of state, we had to utilize technology to make these meetings happen," she noted.

"We are very thankful that Rose is on board and assisting us," she said of Angelica. "She was the chairman of the Dean Martin Festival Committee and Scholarship Fund for 21 years. She has provided us with a vast amount of information and connections that we would have otherwise never known." Angelica retired after Martin's 100th birthday in 2017 to work on her own music. She is an accomplished country/Americana/rock/folk-style artist and will be performing gigs in Florida and Tennessee this summer and fall.

VerStraten-Merrin explained that Ravasio reached out to her because he knew of her work with Beatty Park in the city's South End and because he knew her from childhood.

"His father owned a store on the corner of Lincoln and Tweed avenues in the South End where I grew up. He said that he's always wanted to get a statue to honor Dean Martin and his Italian heritage and his hometown. He knows how important it is for us to honor our heritage," she said.

Ditto for the other committee members, she added, noting the weekly Zoom meetings provide an opportunity to plan and forge ahead.

"We all talk and decide on what needs done and accept assignments to meet our goals for funding the statue and report back the next week," she said.

The committee needs to raise a total of $80,000 for the statue, which includes the deposit of $5,000 to begin," VerStraten-Merrin said, explaining that the sculptor will begin the process of making an 18-inch mini exact likeness of the life-sized version.

"The committee plans to auction off the mini statue during the hometown weekend celebrations on June 18," she said, with details about the Dean Martin Auction to be announced. The Dean Martin Hometown Celebration is scheduled for June 16-18 and will include "music, concerts, food and fun and will honor Dean Martin, his music and his Italian Heritage. Zuros and his staff and volunteers are working hard to bring it all together," she said.

A Facebook group has been established as a way to promote the project and raise funds, according to VerStraten-Merrin, its administrator. It can be found at Dean Martin Hometown Statue (Fund Raiser). "This page is set up to receive donations through PayPal/credit card," she said. "If you're a Dino fan, we need your support to make the statue a reality."

Donations can be made at the oldfortsteuben.com website by scrolling down to the donation button, clicking and scrolling down to the Dean Martin Statue Fund and clicking to make a donation. Anyone interested in donating also can send a check or money order to Historic Fort Steuben, 120 S. Third St., Steubenville, OH 43952 with "Dean Martin Statue" in the memo line.

Alan Cottrill of Zanesville is the sculptor for the statue.

"We all agreed that we are particularly pleased to have a skilled sculptor from Ohio," VerStraten-Merrin said, adding that, "He has a studio and gallery in Zanesville. He has sculpted historical figures, military, coal miners, animals and portrait busts.

The statue of Martin will be life sized, 6 feet tall and is anticipated to be a similar pose like the one in the mural at Hollywood Plaza in Steubenville.

"We are very excited to have Dean's daughter Deana's blessings," VerStraten-Merrin commented. "She is involved with this project every step of the way, including selecting the final pose for her father's statue. She also gave input on where the statue is to be located and with her blessings, the committee has decided to place the bronze statue at the Steubenville Visitors Center, near the entrance, beside the bronze Ohio Historical Marker for Dean Martin," VerStraten-Merrin commented.

Zuros and Barilla agree that is a fitting location -- "It makes perfect sense to put the statue beside the marker. It is a great location."

The historical marker is at the Third Street entrance, across from the city building at the Visitors Center entrance. The bronze marker describes the history of Martin and his music career.

Committee members envision the statue being a popular photo opportunity where visitors will want to have their pictures taken.

"We hope that fans from all over the United States will come to the Dean Martin Hometown Celebration scheduled for June 16, 17 and 18th. Our committee will be present at the celebrations, with a display table and to accept donations for the statue and to answer any questions," VerStraten-Merrin noted.

Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville on June 7, 1917. He was the son of Italian immigrants and grew up in the South End neighborhood at 319 Sixth St., according to information provided by VerStraten-Merrin, who noted his home is no longer there.

"His father was a barber, and he had one brother, Bill. Dino spoke broken English until he started school at Grant Elementary. He dropped out of high school in the 10th grade and began working in one of the local steel mills. He fought as a boxer under the name Kid Crochet and worked a variety of jobs in local clubs," she continued. "He attended St. Anthony's Church, where he was baptized. The Steubenville Bakery was frequented by the Crocetti family, who were friends with the owners.

"He was in his biography and quoted from Look as 'being enthralled by Hollywood from an early age,' and he spent most of his free afternoons at Steubenville's movie theaters. He was particularly influenced by Bing Crosby. He said, 'When a Bing Crosby movie came to Steubenville, I would stay there all day and watch. And that's how I learned to sing, because it's true I don't read a note.' By age 17, he had expanded his singing gigs to Ohio nightclubs outside of his hometown and eventually met success singing in clubs in New York City."

The Spot Bar on South Fourth Street, Steubenville, is the last existing bar where Martin would hang out with his pals, according to VerStraten-Merrin's information. "He used to play dice in the back room. Dean hosted friends and family at Naple's Steak and Spaghetti House in the 1950s. He also gave an evening concert in the auditorium at Steubenville Big Red High School. The Jefferson County Historical Association Museum on Franklin Avenue displays some Dean Martin items in the celebrity room. A building by the Hollywood Plaza was the last residence of Martin's parents before he moved them to Los Angeles.

Painted by Robert Dever in 1998, the Dean Martin mural in Hollywood City Center celebrates the memory of this local favorite with the fourth panel on it depicting Martin's return to Steubenville, joined by his wife and Jerry Lewis in 1950.

Martin's nickname was the "King of Cool." He had eight children and was married three times. His most active singing career years were between 1932 and 1988. He performed with Jerry Lewis, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and other members of the Rat Pack. He became one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas. Beginning in 1965, Martin hosted a television variety show -- "The Dean Martin Show," which showcased singing and comedic talents.

"During Dean's variety shows and especially his Christmas specials in the 1960s he would always mention Steubenville and call out the name of the local hospitals where donations were being sent. He made other donations to the Catholic Central High School, and many donations went under the radar and weren't advertised or mentioned by him," she noted.

A roast master from 1975 to 1984, Martin was characterized by his relaxed, easy-going demeanor. He appeared in 85 films and television productions and recorded more than 100 albums and more than 600 songs. He was 78 when he died on Christmas day 1995.

"The annual festivals each June in Steubenville since 1995 were a way that the community could celebrate and honor Dino's hometown and Rose was a big part of that," VerStraten-Merrin said. "The Historic Fort Steuben and visitors center, along with the Dean Martin Statue Committee, hope to bring back the hometown celebration this year, and what better way to bring it back then to celebrate with a fundraiser for a bronze statue of Dean?," she added. "We are hoping that Deana will attend the future planned unveiling of the statue. We aren't sure how long it will take to raise the funds, but we remain hopeful."