Remo Saraceni
Saraceni (15 January 1935 – 3 June 2024) was an Italian-American toy inventor. He was known for his invention of the Walking Piano, which was used in the 1988 film Big, starring Tom Hanks.
Remo Saraceni

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- Name
- Remo Saraceni
- Birth Name
- Remo J.
- Born
- 15 January 1935
- Birthplace
- Fossacesia, Italy
- Died
- 3 June 2024
- Place of death
- Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Occupation
- Toy inventor
- Education
- Technical Institute of Milan
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Documentary summary
Saraceni (15 January 1935 – 3 June 2024) was an Italian-American toy inventor. He was known for his invention of the Walking Piano, which was used in the 1988 film Big, starring Tom Hanks.
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Remo Saraceni worked as engineer, inventor and sculptor. Remo Saraceni was born in 1935. Remo Saraceni died in 2024.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Remo Saraceni • Birth Name — Remo J. Saraceni • Born — 15 January 1935 • Birthplace — Fossacesia, Italy • Died — 3 June 2024 • Place of death — Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, U.S. • Occupation — Toy inventor • Education — Technical Institute of Milan
Life and career
Life and career
Saraceni was born in Fossacesia, the son of Giuseppe Saraceni, a shoemaker, and Filomena Carulli, a homemaker. He attended the Technical Institute of Milan, earning his master's degree in electronics in 1958. He emigrated to the United States in 1964. He was an artist, lighting designer, sculptor, and an electronic engineer. In the early 1980s, Saraceni invented the Walking Piano, an oversized synthesizer. His invention was used in the 1988 film Big, where actors Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia danced on the piano in a scene of the film.
Death
Death
Saraceni died on 3 June 2024, of heart failure in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, at the age of 89.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1935
Remo Saraceni born.
2024
Remo Saraceni died.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Lear, Len. Local rocket scientist became 'Piano Man' for Tom Hanks. Chestnut Hill Local. June 22, 2018.
- 2.Traub, Alex. Remo Saraceni, 89, Dies; Inventor of the Walking Piano Seen in 'Big'. The New York Times. June 14, 2024.
- 3.Artist makes technology come alive. Tallahassee Democrat. 35. November 27, 1983.
- 4.Remo Saraceni: To Him, Food Is a Gift From the Sun. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 141. April 14, 1974.
- 5.Sculpture Even Your Ears Can Enjoy. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 122. December 19, 1971.
- 6.Featured in Big, Remo Saraceni's Walking Piano Plays Its Sweetest Music at the Cash Register. People. September 12, 1988.
- 7.Lehu, Jean-Marc. Branded Entertainment: Product Placement and Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business. Kogan Page. 11. March 3, 2007. 9780749451431.
- 8.Conde, Ximena. Remo Saraceni, inventor of the giant piano in movie 'Big,' dies at 89. The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 4, 2024.
- 9.Pescara piange Remo Saraceni, scienziato e padre del Big Piano di Tom Hanks. Il Messaggero. June 4, 2024.
- 10.Remo Saraceni obituary: inventor known for the walking piano in the film Big. The Times. 10 July 2024.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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