From the cool, mischievous opening bars of the “Pink Panther” to the wistful strains of “Moon River,” to the driving beat of the theme from Peter Gunn, Henry Mancini gave the world some of the most memorable music ever written for films and television. This musical genius had roots in both Abruzzo and Molise.

Enrico Nicola Mancini was born in the Little Italy section of Cleveland, Ohio, on April 16, 1924. His father Quintiliano, an amateur musician, had emigrated from the community of Scanno (population 1,883 in the 2015 Census) in the province of L’Aquila in the region of Abruzzo in 1910 at age 17. His mother, Anna Pece, had emigrated as an infant with her family from the community of Forlì del Sannio in the province of Isernia in the region of Molise.