Joseph "Pete" Salemi was an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 trombonist

Trombone

The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...

.

Salemi was born in Corleone in Sicily

Sicily

Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

 on September 15, 1902. Salemi was the youngest of three sons and a daughter. He came to the United States in 1914 with his father. As a trombonist, Salemi played with Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...

 and Judy Garland

Judy Garland

Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...

, but is best known for his recording work with the Gene Kardos

Gene Kardos

Gene Kardos was leader of an outstanding jazz and dance orchestra starting in 1931 and running through 1938. He first recorded for Victor in 1931-32 and thereafter recorded for ARC's labels through 1938.Among his musicians were Mike Doty and Joel Shaw...

 Orchestra from 1931. He also played with various other big bands.

Salemi played at the inaugurations of both Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.