Morgana King was an American jazz singer and actress born Maria Grazia Morgana Messina on June 4, 1930, in Pleasantville. She began her professional singing career at age 16 and performed at a Greenwich Village nightclub in 1953, where she was recognized for her vocal range. She released her debut studio recording, For You, For Me, For Evermore, in 1956. King received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1964 and recorded the single “A Taste of Honey”. Her acting career included roles in the films The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), as well as Nunzio (1978). She toured the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America and recorded more than 30 albums. King announced her retirement from performing in 1993 and made her final film appearance in A Brooklyn State of Mind (1997). She died on March 22, 2018, in Palm Springs.
