Composer, conductor, arranger and flutist, educated at the Manhattan School of Music (BA, MA) and Juilliard (on scholarship) (MM). He was first flutist for Radio City Music Hall from 1934 to 1936, the Detroit Symphony from 1936 to 1941, the NBC Toscanini Orchestra from 1942 to 1948 and staff arranger for Radio City Music Hall from 1948 to 1956, and the opera conductor for the Brooklyn Academy of Music from 1948 to 1955.

He was music director for the Broadway stage production of "Once Upon a Mattress" and the touring companies of "Kismet" and "La Plume de Ma Tante". He joined ASCAP in 1952.
Father of August Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire. Brother of Anton Coppola Husband of actress Italia Coppola. Eldest son, August Coppola, born 16 February 1934. August was a comparative literature professor and is the father of Marc Coppola, Christopher Coppola and Nicolas Cage. Grandfather of Marc Coppola, Christopher Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Nicolas Cage and Robert Schwartzman. Principal flutist for the NBC Symphony Orchestra during the years that it was conducted by the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini. There are three generations of Oscar winners in the Coppola family: Carmine, his son Francis Ford Coppola his grandson Nicolas Cage and his granddaughter Sofia Coppola. They are the second family to do so, the first family is the Hustons - Anjelica Huston, John Huston and Walter Huston. Played flute in the orchestra for Famous Studios cartoons under Winston Sharples.