ɚɹˈaʊnd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt hiː mˈuːvd tə kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə ænd wˈɜːkt wɪððə fɹˈæŋki ˈɔːɹɾɛɡə tɹˈiːoʊ ɪn lˌɑːs vˈeɪɡəs ænd æt ðə bælbˈoʊə bˈeɪ klˈʌb ɪn nˈuːpoːɹt bˈiːtʃ fɔːɹ ɪlˈɛvən jˈɪɹz.
Around 1948 he moved to California and worked with the Frankie Ortega Trio in Las Vegas and at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach for 11 years.