Singing Reagan's Praises for a New Cause
by Richard Leiby

Published August 25, 2004, page C03 in the Washington Post

Sal Di Leo, a marketing man in Minneapolis, sent us an exclusive news release the other day, headlined: "Desperate to Build My Retreat for Nuns. Willing to Sell My Reagan Collection."

So begins the story of one man's adoration of Ronald Reagan and an all-but-forgotten song called "Come On America!" Di Leo is putting his pro-Gipper "fight song" and related memorabilia up for sale -- asking price: $1.5 million -- to build a lakefront lodge for nuns. " Ron and Nancy Reagan really liked the song a lot," he told us. "We'll set the bar as high as we can and see what happens."

In 1983, in what he describes as "probably one of the craziest decisions of my life," Di Leo spent $50,000 to write, produce and release the twangy ballad, sung by a member of John Fred and His Playboy Band, known for the novelty hit "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)." At the time, Di Leo says, he was a millionaire overly motivated by money, a boozer and a marijuana smoker. But a true believer in the president and his values: "I was proud of what he did. He was good for the country."

His song, written with friend Perry Sanders, supported the president's 1984 reelection campaign and was played at events Di Leo staged in 1986 in St. Paul, Chicago and Fort Worth when the administration was mired in allegations of illegality during the Iran-contra scandal. Di Leo says he called a news conference in Washington and faced down a sniping press corps while Oliver North was being grilled in hearings. No GOP supporters showed up. After that, he says, "I decided to stay away from politics forever."

But his song endures. "Come On America," it urges. "We can sink or we can swim / But with a godly man like him / we can do it." It won Di Leo a letter of gratitude from Reagan and was scored by the U.S. Marine Corps Band, though never played.

Raised by Franciscan nuns in an orphanage outside Chicago, the 50-year-old Di Leo says: "This is finally my way of giving back to a cause that matters most to me now. . . . I owe those nuns everything." His collection includes the master mix of the song, the first vinyl 45, posters, letters, newspaper clips and a signed copy of Di Leo's unpublished memoir, "Did I Ever Thank You, Sister?" Intrigued? Visit www.salsbook.com for more of the saga.

To listen to Sal Di Leo's "Come On America!" go to www.washingtonpost.com/style and click on "The Reliable Source."

With Anne Schroeder

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