You cannot talk about Chrissi Scinta without also talking about her family, for it is with them that she has gained recognition, as The Scintas have become a staple of the Las Vegas entertainment community.

Joe “Bucko” and Mary “Mama” Scinta raised four children — Joe, Frankie and Chrissi, who are all a part of The Scintas, and Tony, a former homicide detective with the Buffalo police department — in Buffalo, New York. Without knowing their children would someday become Vegas headliners Bucko introduced them to music at a very young age.

Frankie was given a guitar when he was four years old, and from the moment he picked it up, he was an entertainer.  As a young kid, he and his banjo appeared on the Merv Griffin Show, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and the Ted Mack Amateur Hour.  He was known as a very talented young musician who could play any song just by hearing it. When Frankie was 12 years old, he added his little sister Chrissi to his act, and together, they performed for family, made frequent local appearances and played special events throughout Buffalo.

Older brother Joe had been playing the bass for years, and when he left college, he asked Frankie to join his band “Top Banana” as a keyboardist.  After a two-month gig in Hawaii, the band broke up.  Back home in Buffalo, Joe and Frankie started performing as “The Scinta Brothers.”

When Chrissi was in high school, she had her own aspirations of being an entertainer, and stayed busy with school plays and other singing projects.  In 1978, she performed in the Miss New York State Pageant and auditioned for the TV show “Fame.”  She was one of only a few finalists who were beat by superstar Janet Jackson for a starring role in the show.  Soon afterwards, Joe and Frankie realized it was time to add a third member to their band.  Just 16 years old, Chrissi wasn’t old enough to work in bars, so Joe and Frank had to sneak her through the back door of venues to perform.

Today, all of the Scintas and their families — along with percussionist Pete O’Donnell who is part of their troupe — live in Las Vegas. Chrissi and her husband John are the parents of Deanna, a high school junior.