perito went home to denver to marry his high school sweetheart, judy stone, and worked at denver's koa with his own weekday radio program in 1946. the couple then settled in new york, where he worked as a songwriter, arranger, and accordion/piano session musician. perito also had his own band that had a permanent spot at jack dempsey's broadway restaurant, owned by the boxer. his first association with perry como came through como's arranger, ray charles, in the early 1950s. como had recorded a novelty song, "hoop-de-doo", and perito was hired to accompany him on accordion for television performances of the song. he became the musical director of united artists records in 1961.