Remo Saraceni
Remo Saraceni | |
|---|---|
 Saraceni in 1971 | |
| Born | Remo J. Saraceni 15 January 1935 |
| Died | 3 June 2024 (aged 89) Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Technical Institute of Milan |
| Occupation | Toy inventor |
| Spouse(s) |
Maria Francione
(m. 1965; div. 1976)
(m. 1995, died.) |
Remo J. Saraceni (15 January 1935 – 3 June 2024) was an Italian-American toy inventor. He was known for his invention of the Walking Piano, which was used in the 1988 film Big, starring Tom Hanks.
Life and career
[edit]Saraceni was born in Fossacesia, the son of Giuseppe Saraceni, a shoemaker, and Filomena Carulli, a homemaker.[2] He attended the Technical Institute of Milan, earning his master's degree in electronics in 1958.[3] He emigrated to the United States in 1964.[1] He was an artist, lighting designer,[4] sculptor,[5] and an electronic engineer.[6]
In the early 1980s, Saraceni invented the Walking Piano, an oversized synthesizer. His invention was used in the 1988 film Big, where actors Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia danced on the piano in a scene of the film.[1][7][8]
Death
[edit]Saraceni died on 3 June 2024, of heart failure in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, at the age of 89.[1][9][10][2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Traub, Alex (14 June 2024). "Remo Saraceni, 89, Dies; Inventor of the Walking Piano Seen in 'Big'". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Remo Saraceni obituary: inventor known for the walking piano in the film Big". The Times. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ Lear, Len (22 June 2018). "Local rocket scientist became 'Piano Man' for Tom Hanks". Chestnut Hill Local. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Artist makes technology come alive". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. 27 November 1983. p. 35. Retrieved 14 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Remo Saraceni: To Him, Food Is a Gift From the Sun". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 14 April 1974. p. 141. Retrieved 14 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sculpture Even Your Ears Can Enjoy". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 19 December 1971. p. 122. Retrieved 14 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Featured in Big, Remo Saraceni's Walking Piano Plays Its Sweetest Music at the Cash Register". People. 12 September 1988. Archived from the original on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Lehu, Jean-Marc (3 March 2007). Branded Entertainment: Product Placement and Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business. Kogan Page. p. 11. ISBN 9780749451431 – via Google Books.
- ^ Conde, Ximena (4 June 2024). "Remo Saraceni, inventor of the giant piano in movie 'Big,' dies at 89". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 14 June 2024 – via MSN.
- ^ "Pescara piange Remo Saraceni, scienziato e padre del Big Piano di Tom Hanks". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 4 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
External links
[edit]
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