Salvatore Vaccarino put aside his ambitions and worked for many restaurants in different countries including Scotland, France, America, Germany and Switzerland.

Whilst working in Dundee as a trained chef he met Beatrice and married. They stayed in Dundee for 12 years and then moved to Florida where Salvatore worked as a restaurant manager. The restaurant had a pianist and Salvatore Vaccarino soon sang along to classic Italian tunes such as Santa Lucia and O Sole Mio.

In 1993 Salvatore and Beatrice returned to Scotland and set up the Casa Salvatore Italian Restaurant in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.

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As well as cooking some delicious homemade dishes from Italy, Salvatore Vaccarino entertains his diners by singing Italian songs. Customers can buy a CD of his favourite songs.

Salvatore Vaccarino was a baritone but a voice coach whom he met when she was dining at Casa Salvatore helped bring out his voice and he is now a tenor. It is thought that Salvatore is the only Italian tenor in Scotland.

Salvatore Vaccarino Charity Concerts

Salvatore Vaccarino often performs publicly in village centres and Town Halls where the price of tickets are donated to local charities. He has given performances at Ellon and Inverurie Town Hall. Songs include Nessun Dorma and Come Back To Sorrento.

In November 2007 the Ellon Italian singer Salvatore Vaccarino retired from the Ellon Italian Restaurant Casa Salvatore so that he could enjoy retirement and devote more time to singing. In March 2008 Salvatore Vaccarino will perform at a special Mother’s Day concert at Aberdeen Beach Ballroom. Salvatore Vaccarino will sing music by Pavarotti such as Nessun Dorma, Come Back to Sorrento and Maria Mari. The head chef of Casa Salvatore, Mr Colin Cruickshank, will be taking over the Ellon Italian Restaurant.

Read our restaurant review of Casa Salvatore.

More famous Aberdonians.

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Salvatore Vaccarino has one last singing ambition - to sing a duet with Soprano Lesley Garrett when she comes to Aberdeen Music Hall on the 19 May 2006.