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Dr. Len Bergantino

Local 47 member Len Bergantino was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. At the age of five years his father Dan had him taking solfeggi lessons and at six, mandolin lessons.
Len played for sororities and fraternities in college at The University of Connecticut, and finding the mandolin to be a very romantic instrument, he often played for the girl he was courting "at the time."
Len received his doctorate from the University of Southern California and then entered private practice of clinical psychology for 30 years, retiring in 1999.
In 1979 he saw Mischa Shenkyman play mandolin at the Bonaventure and he remembers being in awe of what Shenkyman could do with a mandolin. He asked Mischa if he could teach him a technique good for recording studios, and Shenkyman taught him the methods taught in Russian conservatories.
About 1995 Len began playing mandolin professionally. He customarily uses guitar accompaniment for Italian mandolin music and romantic mandolin music. His usual accompanist is Del Casher, a guitar player formerly with The Three Sons, and whose ethnic background gives him a "good feel" for what Len wants to do with the Italian and American old standards.