80. Piccolo tango (A Little Tango)

The piece is only known from 80.E.1. Its authenticity is very dubious, but if it is actually by Puccini the late publication seems very strange (see also 81, made known under the same circumstances).
According to information received directly from the publishing company of Edward B. Marks Music Co. dated 30 November 1994, except for the name of a lawyer, Giovanni Tocelli Bossi, who was somehow involved in the acquisition of the piece, there are no extant documents in their archives pertaining to the publication. According to information provided by the United States Copyright Office dated 15 November 1994, the printed edition was registered on 11 August 1942. The copyright was renewed on 21 November 1969 “by Rita Puccini, as proprietor of the posthumous work.” This obviously means that the widow of Puccini’s son, Antonio — then his sole heir — laid claim to the copyright of the piece for legal reasons without being required to prove the authenticity.
Throughout the literature pertaining to Puccini said authenticity is assumed but often questioned, with Puccini’s first or second visit to the United States conjectured as the time of origin. It is indeed possible that on those occasions he could have given the manuscript of such a work for the piano to someone as a present or sold it to an American acquaintance (but that was never his usual practice).