[Dixielandjazz] Irving Fazola (was Italians Invented Jazz)

[Bill Haesler]

Marek Boym wrote [in part]:
> Actually, for many years I thought his name was Prestupnik (criminal
> in Russian); I do not know the origins of his family.

Dear Marek,
This following information is from my friend, researcher and author, English trumpet player John Chilton.

Irving Henry Prestopnik. Born: New Orleans, 10 December 1912. Died: New Orleans, 20 March 1949.
His mother was Irish and he had a younger brother (Louis) and sister. It was a working-class Catholic family and lived near Claiborne and Ursulina.
Faz (his preferred name) never mentioned his father, who was an Austrian of Hungarian descent.
The nickname Fazola (pronounced fah-so-la) and based on the first 3 notes of the tonic-sol-ta: Fa-soho-la ) was given to him by Louis Prima when they were kids and Faz was with the 29-piece Roma Band that only played written music. But the exact details vary. The name stuck and he used it professionally. 
Very kind regards.
Bill.
Sydney, Australia (no, not Austria).