Carl Fortina

Accordionist, from San Francisco, California (1929–2014). Has done much session work in the music industry - from The Beach Boys to The Checkmates LTD. For 35 years, he was the accordionist on first call for Hollywood. He played in some 600 motion picture and 25,000 television soundtracks. When Nino Rota, the composer who wrote the music for "The Godfather", heard Carl play the theme for the soundtrack, he told Carl "You don't play with your hands; you play with your heart". Carl went onto become musical director of Paramount Studios.