Italia Coppola

Born in an apartment over the family's Empire Theater in Brooklyn, New York City,^[9] she was the youngest of six children of Anna (née Giaquinto) and Francesco Pennino, both from Naples, Italy.^[10] Her father, graduated at San Pietro a Majella, was a musician and composer of Italian songs (particularly Neapolitan songs), an importer of silent Italian films and a movie theater owner.^[1][9] Her five brothers were Louis, Rosary, Alfred, Humbert and Victor.^[1]

Italia Pennino Coppola was the wife of Carmine Coppola and the mother of academic August Coppola, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, as well as the maternal grandmother of actors Jason Schwartzman, Robert Carmine and writer Matthew Shire, and the paternal aunt of talent manager Anthony Pennino, and paternal grandmother of actors Nicolas Cage, Marc Coppola and directors Roman Coppola, Christopher Coppola and Sofia Coppola.^[11][3]

Under her maiden name, Pennino, Italia Coppola was a lyricist known for writing "Non ci lasceremo mai", Connie's wedding song from The Godfather, the Sicilian lyrics for "Ninna-nanna a Michele", consisting of "The Godfather Waltz" and "Michael's Theme", composed by Nino Rota and sung by Nino Palermo in The Godfather Part II soundtrack, "Come Back to Love (the Chief's Death)" from Apocalypse Now, and songs from Carmine Coppola themes from Napoleon, The Black Stallion, and The Outsiders.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

Italia Pennino Coppola is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery alongside her husband.^[11][17]

• Coppola family tree