Filane, Cosimo with the Breakaways

Websites:  https://www.facebook.com/cosimofilane, https://www.youtube.com/cosfilanetv, https://citizenfreak.com/artists/95026-filane-cosimo
Origin: Port Arthur → Schreiber, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Cosimo James “Filane” Figliomeni (January 25, 1939 – December 19, 2025) was a Canadian singer, entertainer, entrepreneur, author, and community leader whose life and work were deeply rooted in Schreiber, Ontario. Known professionally as Cosimo Filane, he became a widely respected figure in Northwestern Ontario through a rare combination of music, business leadership, and lifelong community service.

Born in Port Arthur, Ontario, to Edith and Domenic Figliomeni, Cosimo spent most of his life in Schreiber, a remote railway town on the north shore of Lake Superior. Raised in a close-knit community long defined by isolation and self-reliance, Filane developed a strong sense of loyalty to place that would guide his entire life. At age eighteen, he left home for Toronto to pursue a career in singing and acting.

During this period, he adopted the stage name Cosimo Filane, formed by combining the first syllable of his family name with the surname of his favourite singer, Frankie Laine. What began as a professional alias soon became a lifelong identity, both artistically and publicly.

Filane’s recording career began in the mid-1960s. His debut album, Small Town Boy (1966), recorded in London, England, established his polished pop vocal style and introduced a persona rooted in sincerity and approachability. Over the course of his career, he released six albums, recorded in Toronto and the United States, with releases spanning more than five decades. Several of his songs received national airplay, including appearances on the CHUM Charts, most notably the single “My Girl,” which reached #43. His final album, Forget About It! (2020), marked the close of a long and sustained recording life.

Beyond music, Filane was recognized nationally for his entrepreneurial and civic contributions. He appeared on CBC’s A Scattering of Seeds (1999), a documentary series profiling Canadian entrepreneurs, and later on CBC’s Personal Best (2002). Together with his family, he operated numerous businesses in Schreiber, including the Cosiana Inn, Fallen Rock Resort, Hollywood Filane Sportswear & Boxing Gym, Filane’s Can-Op & Variety, Filane’s Dollar ’n’ More, Filane’s Food Market, and Filane’s Natural Spring Water, all of which played a significant role in the local economy.

Filane was also deeply committed to minor hockey, a lifelong passion. In response to inequities he observed in youth sports, he founded Fallen Rock Minor Hockey, an organization built to give all players the opportunity to participate and develop. His dedication to amateur hockey earned him recognition as an RBC Regional Hockey Leader in 2009. He later documented his experiences in the book You Can’t Win Them All (1986), a novel inspired by small-town minor hockey culture that received praise from notable Canadian figures.

Cosimo married the love of his life, Diana, in 1966. Together they raised eight children—Domenic, Gerry, Edith, Dean, Salvatore, Shawn, Deana, and Mario—and built a large extended family. He passed away on December 19, 2025, in Terrace Bay, Ontario, at the age of 86, surrounded by family.

Remembered as an entertainer, builder, mentor, and devoted family man, Cosimo Filane’s legacy lives on through his recordings, his writing, his businesses, and the countless lives he touched through music, sport, and community leadership.
-Robert Williston