Born on 9 August 1889 in Iasi, Romania, to Christian parents (his mother -- an Italian woman, his father -- a Romanian). At six months his father died, and when he was nine years old -- his mother. Not being able to move over to the treatment(?) of his other family members, W. left from his home. After school he sang in a chorus, and W. now became taken in by the Romanian operetta of Nico Poienaru. Two years later, he returned to Iasi, where his family created for him the possibility of learning in a gymnasium and took lessons in a conservatory. At the age of fifteen, W. became engaged in the Romanian opera- and operetta troupe of Grigoria, but after several months the troupe disbanded and W. entered into a circus of Trutsi as an acrobat, and as a Romanian-Italian interpreter, and several months later in a Romanian revue theatre in Galatz, in which his partner, a Jew, introduced him to the Yiddish language.

In 1907 W. left the revue theatre and was forced to enter into work in a Jewish bakery. Here he had the opportunity to learn several Yiddish songs, and in 1908 entered into a Yiddish variety, which directed to completion ibereys with his family. Hearing more of the Yiddish language, W. entered in Iasi into the Yiddish operetta theatre, where he performed as a singer-lover with most liturgical music, such as "Gavriel" in "Khinke-pinke" "Bartelo" in "Kol Nidre", "Moritz" in "Isaac the Butcher", etc.