Profile Text
Francis in her first television special, in 1961, ABC Television
Birth Name: Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero
Date of Birth: December 12, 1937
Place of Birth: Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Date of Death: July 16, 2025
Place of Death: Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.
Ethnicity: Italian
Connie Francis was an American pop singer, musician, author, and actress. She was a top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Connie was born in an Italian neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of Ida (Ferrara/Ferrari-di Vito) and George J. Franconero. She was also partly raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. She was said to have had roots in San Giovanni di Gerace on her father’s side. Connie had a son, who was adopted, with her former husband, restaurateur and travel-agency owner Joseph Garzilli.
Connie’s paternal grandfather was named Frank/Francesco Franconero.
Connie’s paternal grandmother was named Marie/Maria Concetta/R. Papandrea/Papendrea.
Source: Genealogy of Connie Francis (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com