Dino Di Liberti is a man of passion who is still in love with his wife, Vicenza, after more than 50 years of marriage. As the 79-year-old Sicilian tells his life story in his Clearwater living room, he occasionally interrupts his cheerful reminiscences to clear his throat and check his tears.

The emotion comes not from any sadness in his life, but from the joy that singing Italian opera and romantic love songs has brought him and his family, friends, and music lovers from Tampa, St. Petersburg, New York, and Europe. Di Liberti, who painted homes and hung wallpaper throughout the Tampa Bay region to support Vicenza and two daughters in the 1970s and 1980s, was discovered and trained by famous soprano Miro Bigalli and founding president of the St. Petersburg Opera Guild, Rosaline Posno.