Died. Connee Boswell, 68, innovative songstress of the Big Band era, whose recordings of such hits as Whispers in the Dark and They Can't Take That Away from Me sold more than 75 million copies; of cancer; in Manhattan. Boswell, stricken by polio as a child, sang from a wheelchair, but her long gowns were often artfully draped to create the illusion that she was standing up. She began her career as one of the three Boswell sisters. Continuing solo following her sisters' marriages, in 1936 she starred on radio, was featured on Broadway and appeared in several movie musicals.

Died. Roderick L. Haig-Brown, 68, Canadian naturalist and author of the 1940 classic fishing book, The Western Angler; of a heart attack; in Campbell River, B.C. Born in England, Haig-Brown traveled to North America in the 1920s in search of "broken country." He settled on Vancouver Island, serving as magistrate of a local court, writing some two dozen books and championing environmental protection long before it became a popular cause.

Died. Carlo ("Don Carlo") Gambino, 74, chief of New York City's most powerful Mafia family; in his sleep; in Massapequa, N.Y. The Sicilian-born Gambino came to the U.S. as a stowaway at the age of 19. He assumed control of his underworld clan in 1957 after the assassination of its boss, Albert Anastasia, in the barbershop of the Park-Sheraton Hotel. Although the Federal Government tried to deport Gambino for ten years, a series of heart attacks enabled him to successfully thwart expulsion to Italy.

Died. Dame Edith Evans, 88, legendary British actress; in Goudhurst, England. Evans' repertory ranged from Shakespearean tragedy to modern comedy; she created several roles for George Bernard Shaw, who wrote The Millionairess especially for her. Dame Edith made her film debut at the age of 60 in a 1948 version of Pushkin's The Queen of Spades. Her other films included Look Back in Anger, The Nun's Story, Tom Jones and The Whisperers. Evans started acting in amateur theater productions while working as an apprentice milliner in London. She caught the eye of Director William Poel, who cast her in his 1912 Covent Garden production of Troilus and Cressida. Continuing to act until shortly before her death, Evans once remarked that she had always desired "a job I couldn't see the end of."

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