Rags to Riches (song) recordings by Sunny & the Sunliners (#45 in 1963) and Elvis Presley (#33 in 1971) also made the Billboard charts. Tony Bennett's version was used at the beginning of the film "Goodfellas", just after Henry Hill closes the trunk of the car and says in voice-over, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." The song was also used in an episode of "Columbo". The opening line of the song was sung regularly and exuberantly by the character Carmine Ragusa on the television series "Laverne & Shirley", typically when he had good news. "Rags
Richard Adler began his career as a lyricist, teaming up with Jerry Ross in 1950. As a duo they worked in tandem, both taking credit for lyrics and music. After establishing their partnership, Adler and Ross quickly became protégés of composer, lyricist and publisher Frank Loesser. Their first notable composition was the song "Rags to Riches", which was recorded by Tony Bennett and reached number 1 on the charts in late 1953. At the same time Bennett's recording was topping the charts, Adler and Ross began their career in Broadway theater with "John Murray Anderson's Almanac", a revue for which they provided