Career
He led a well-known territory band — The Dick Mango Orchestra, booked by the Music Management Service of Omaha in the 1950s. In the mid-1940s, he served in the United States Army as a saxophonist and arranger. Mango began his professional career at age 16.
Before moving, he had attended Vandergrift High School in 1927-1928 as a Freshman.
His first full-time job was with a traveling dance band, I. Fiscus and the Kiski Valley Blue Ribbon Boys, a popular east coast attraction. He later played with Philosophy Brestoff, conductor of the Michigan Theater house band, and also had played with Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Johnny Long, and Ted Lewis.
He appeared in two films with the Lewis band: Three Cheers for the Boys and Is Everybody Happy?. During his tenure in the military, he organized dance bands and entertained the GIs.
Upon his return from the service, he started his own band.
Bob Olsen (né Robert George Olsen. Born 1929) — trumpet Herbie Phillips (1935–1995) — trumpet Lou Milotte II (né Louis Henry Milotte. Born 1934) — fifth sax (baritone & alto) 1951–1952 William R. Cassidy (1923–1983) — trumpet in 1950s.