Francesco Stallone (September 12, 1919 – July 11, 2011) was an Italian-American hairdresser, writer, and one-time actor. He was the father of actor

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

and actor/singer Frank Stallone Jr. Stallone Sr. was known for being the author of his only book ''Stewart Lane'' which was published in May 2010, and in his only acting role in the 1976 film ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...

'' as the timekeeper.

Early life and career

Stallone was born in

Gioia del Colle Gioia del Colle (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Physical geography Territory ...

, to Silvestro Stallone (1883–1963), a barber, and Pulcheria Nicastri (1890–1973). He was one of eight children. His family moved to New York from Italy in 1923 on board the S.S. Dante Alighieri sailing from Naples. Stallone served in the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

from 1940–1945. After his return from the service, Stallone opened up several barber shops in New York City. He moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, in the early 1950s and then moved to

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...

, where he opened several more hair salons and beauty schools. He was a

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

enthusiast for more than 70 years, becoming an early member of the Potomac Polo Club, located in

Poolesville, Maryland Poolesville is a U.S. town in the western portion of Montgomery County, Maryland. The population was 5,742 at the 2020 United States Census. It is surrounded by (but is technically not part of) the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, and is ...

. Stallone had a short-lived career as an actor and as a writer. His only acting role was in the role of the timekeeper in the 1976 American sports drama ''

'', which starred his son Sylvester. At the age of 90, he wrote his first and only novel, which was published on May 24, 2010. The book, entitled ''Stewart Lane'', was the tale of a couple who attempt to renovate a dilapidated country house.

Personal life

Stallone was married four times. His first marriage was to Jacqueline Labofish, an

astrologer Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...

better known as

Jackie Stallone Jacqueline Frances Stallone (née Labofish; November 29, 1921 – September 21, 2020) was an American astrologer, dancer and wrestling promoter. She was the mother of actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Frank Stallone, and actress Toni D'Alto, the ...

, and lasted 12 years from 1945 to 1957. His second marriage was to Rose Marie Stallone and ended in divorce. His third marriage was to Sandra Stallone and also ended in divorce. His fourth and final marriage was to Kathleen Rhodes and lasted from 1997 until his death. Stallone had five children:

and Frank Jr. (with Jackie); Bryan and Carla Francesca (with Rose Marie); and Dante Alexander (with Kathleen). Among his grandchildren are

Sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

and

Sistine Stallone Sistine Rose Stallone (born June 27, 1998) is an American actress and model. She made her acting debut as Nicole in the survival horror film '' 47 Meters Down: Uncaged'', directed by Johannes Roberts. Career In 2016, she signed to IMG Models, an ...

Death

Stallone died on July 11, 2011, at his home in

Wellington, Florida Wellington is a village just west of West Palm Beach in Palm Beach County and north of Miami. As of 2019, the city had a population of 65,398 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, making it the most populous village in the state. It is the ...

, at the age of 91, after a battle with

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

. His memorial was held on September 12 at Saint Rita's Church in Wellington, Florida.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stallone, Frank Sr. 1919 births 2011 deaths People from Sicily Italian emigrants to the United States Male actors from Washington, D.C. Writers from Washington, D.C. People from Silver Spring, Maryland People from Wellington, Florida American hairdressers Deaths from prostate cancer Deaths from cancer in Florida Family of Sylvester Stallone