Spiro Samuel Malas (January 28, 1933 – June 23, 2019) was a Greek-American bass-baritone opera singer and actor. The son of Greek immigrants Sam and Lillian Malas, he was born in Baltimore, MD January 28, 1933. The family owned Duffy's, a restaurant in Baltimore's Southwest neighborhood. He attended Towson State College in Maryland and taught geography for a year after graduation while continuing his vocal training at Peabody Conservatory. He made his operatic debut in 1959 in his native Baltimore and in 1960 he won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He made his New York debut at the New York City Opera as Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi. This way he came to the attention of Joan Sutherland and her husband, the conductor Richard Bonynge. Giorgio in I Puritani was his first