Dean Martin, born Dino Paul Crocetti, was one of the most popular Hollywood entertainers of the 1950s and '60s. As a singer, actor and comedian, Martin had it all and was even named the "King of Cool" by the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley. Martin began his career by performing with Jerry Lewis in a show dubbed Martin & Lewis, and his solo singing career spawned many hits, including "Ain't That a Kick In the Head?," "That's Amore," "Everybody Loves Somebody" and more. Martin also acted in many movies, including Rio Bravo and Oceans 11, and hosted his own variety show, The Dean Martin Show. He was also part of the Rat Pack, which included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Dean Martin accomplished a great deal in his career, and he did it all alongside his family of eight children, some of whom have followed in their famous dad's footsteps.
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Martin's eight children came from his three marriages. The entertainer married his first wife, Anne "Betty" McDonald, in October 1971 in Cleveland, Ohio. Their marriage lasted eight years, and they had four children together: Craig Martin, Claudia Martin, Gail Martin and Deana Martin.
Craig Martin
Craig followed in his dad's footsteps for a little while, boasting producing credits on The Dean Martin Show from 1971 to 1974 as well as A Family Thing, according to IMDB. Not much else is known about Craig, but according to Closer Weekly, he had a wife named Carole Costello who passed away in 1987.
Claudia Martin
Martin's second child, Claudia Martin, unfortunately, passed away from breast cancer in 2001 at age 56. Before her death, she had a career in show business as well, appearing on The Donna Reed Show and My Three Sons.
Gail Martin
Martin's third child, Gail, did not go into acting per se, but she did appear on various shows such as The Tonight Show.
Deana Martin
It was Martin's fourth child from his first marriage, Deana, who really shadowed her dad's career. In addition to having a successful theatrical career, Deana starred in films such as Young Billy Young, Strangers at Sunrise and A Voice in the Night. Deana was also the daughter who witnessed Elvis Presley call her dad the "King of Cool."
"Elvis was doing a movie at Paramount, and so was my dad. I went to visit dad at the studio and we were standing outside [dad's] dressing room," she told Buzzworthy Radio (quote via BlogTalkRadio.com).
"And [Elvis] leans down to me and says, 'Deana, they call me the King of Rock 'n' Roll. But your dad is the King of Cool,'" she continued.
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After Martin and his first wife divorced, he married Dorothy Jean "Jeanne" Biegger in 1949. Their marriage lasted 24 years, and they had three children: Dean Paul Martin, Ricci Martin and Gina Martin.
Dean Paul Martin
His eldest son from this marriage, Dean Paul Martin, had a successful career as a singer, tennis player, actor and member of the Air Force. Dean Paul sang with his father from a young age, joining the group Dino, Desi & Billy with Billy Hinsche and Desi Arnaz's son Desi Arnaz Jr. at age 13. As a tennis player, he competed in the junior competition at Wimbledon. His acting career included credits in Players, Misfits of Science and Backfire. He earned his pilot's license at age 16 and rose to the rank of captain in the Air Force. Dean Paul Martin Jr., unfortunately, passed away in 1987 at age 35 when his F-4 jet fighter crashed into California's San Gorgonio Mountain in the San Bernardino Mountains. Dean Paul was previously married to actress Olivia Hussey and figure skater Dorothy Hamill. He is buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Ricci Martin
Ricci Martin, Martin's second son from his second wife, spent his career as a singer in his band, The Pack. He collaborated with The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson, who later married his little sister, Gina. Ricci passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2016.
Sasha Martin
Martin got married to his third wife, Catherine Hawn, in 1973, and although their marriage only lasted three years, he adopted her daughter, Sasha. His youngest daughter also did some acting, starring in Howard Stern's autobiographical film, Private Parts, and the TV series Guiding Light.
