Composer James "Ragtime Jimmie" Monaco was born Jan. 13, 1885, in Genoa (Fornia), Italy, and died  Oct. 16, 1945, in Beverly Hills, California. In 1891, when he just 6 years old, his family emigrated from Italy and settled in Chicago. Jimmy taught himself to play the piano. His career started as a ragtime piano player in Chicago (at the Savoy Club) and continued with jobs in some New York Saloons (at the 29th Street Bohemia Club) and later in Coney Island Amusement Park cafes. All told, his career started in 1911 and spanned the decades into the 1940's.

"Ragtime Jimmie" Monaco died the same year (1945) of a heart attack.
Monaco was elected to the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.