Danny Aiello

Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. (/aɪˈɛloʊ/; born June 20, 1933)[1] is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including The Godfather Part II(1974), The Front (1976), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Moonstruck (1987), Harlem Nights (1989), Hudson Hawk (1991), Ruby (1992), Léon: The Professional (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Dinner Rush (2000), and Lucky Number Slevin (2006). He had a pivotal role in the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing (1989) as Salvatore "Sal" Frangione, earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He played Don Domenico Clericuzio in the miniseries The Last Don (1997).

Early life
Aiello, the fifth of six children, was born on West 68th Street, Manhattan,[2] the son of parents, Frances (née Pietrocova), a seamstress, and Daniel Louis Aiello, a laborer, who deserted his children and wife, who had lost her eyesight and become legally blind. For many years, Aiello publicly condemned his father but the two reconciled in 1993, although Aiello harbors a resentment of his father's conduct.[1][3][4] He moved to the South Bronx when he was seven, and later attended James Monroe High School.[4]

At the age of 16, Aiello lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Army. After serving for three years, he returned to New York City and did various jobs in order to support himself and later his family. Aiello served as a union representative for Greyhound Bus workers and was a night club bouncer at the legendary New York comedy club, The Improv.[citation needed]

Film and television
Aiello broke into films in the early 1970s. One of his earliest roles came as a ballplayer in the 1973 baseball drama, Bang the Drum Slowly, with Robert De Niro. Aiello had a walk-on role as small-time hood Tony Rosato in The Godfather Part II (1974), ad-libbing the famous line "Michael Corleone says hello!" during a hit on rival gangster Frank Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo).[5]

In 1980, Aiello had a co-lead role with Jan Michael Vincent in Defiance, about some Manhattan residents who fight back against the thugs terrorizing the neighborhood. The next year, he received considerable acclaim for playing a racist New York City cop in Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981) with Paul Newman. In 1981, Aiello won a Daytime Emmy Award for his appearance in an ABC Afterschool Special called A Family of Strangers.[6]

He was paired with De Niro again for the Sergio Leone gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America (1984), as a police chief whose name was also "Aiello." His many film appearances included two for director Woody Allen, who cast him in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) and Radio Days (1987).[citation needed]

Aiello is perhaps best known for his role as pizzeria owner Sal in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). At the time of the film's release, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, he called the role his "first focal part". He further identified the film as a very collaborative effort, during which Spike Lee at one point told him "Whatever you wanna do, you do." Aiello went on to write a crucial scene he shared with John Turturro ten minutes prior to its production.[7] The role earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as film critic awards from Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.[8]

Aiello has also portrayed more sympathetic characters. He gained recognition as the befuddled fiancé of Cher opposite her Oscar-winning performance in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987), and the actor made a comic appearance in drag for the Robert Altman fashion-industry film Prêt-à-Porter(1994).[citation needed] He also had sympathetic roles in the 1990 horror thriller Jacob's Ladder and the 1991 comedy-drama 29th Street.[9]

Aiello played nightclub owner and Lee Harvey Oswald assassin Jack Ruby in the 1992 biopic Ruby and a political big shot with mob ties in City Hall (1996), starring Al Pacino. He later starred in the independent feature film Dolly Baby(2012), written and directed by Kevin Jordan; Aiello also starred in Jordan's Brooklyn Lobster, which premiered at The Toronto Film Festival in 2005.[10]

Music
Aiello's singing has been on display in films such as Hudson Hawk (1991), Once Around (1991), and Remedy that starred his son Ricky Aiello and Jonathan Doscher. He has released several albums featuring a big-band sound, including I Just Wanted to Hear The Words (2004), Live from Atlantic City (2008), and My Christmas Song for You (2010). Aiello and EMI songwriter Hasan Johnson released an album of standards fused with rap entitled Bridges in 2011.[11]

He played the father for the video of Madonna's song, "Papa Don't Preach" (1986), and recorded his own answer song, "Papa Wants the Best for You", written by Artie Schroeck.[12]

Theater
Aiello's Broadway theatre credits include Gemini, The Floating Light Bulb, Hurlyburly, and The House of Blue Leaves. He also was in the 1976 Broadway play Wheelbarrow Closers, directed by Paul Sorvino.

In July 2011, Aiello appeared Off Broadway in the two-act drama The Shoemaker, written by Susan Charlotte and directed by Antony Marsellis. The play is a stage version of his 2006 movie A Broken Sole, which began life in 2001 as a one-act play.[13]

Personal life
Aiello lived in Ramsey, New Jersey, for many years.[14] He later moved to Saddle River, New Jersey.[15]

He is the father of stuntman and actor Danny Aiello III, who died in 2010 of pancreatic cancer,[16] His surviving children are Rick, Jaime, and Stacey Aiello.[6]

In 2014, Aiello published his autobiography, I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies via Simon & Schuster.[17]

His nephew is Michael Kay, announcer for the New York Yankees.[18]

Filmography

 * Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) as Horse
 * The Godfather Part II (1974) as Tony Rosato
 * The Front (1976) as Danny LaGattuta
 * Fingers (1978) as Butch
 * Bloodbrothers (1978) as Artie
 * Defiance (1980) as Carmine
 * Hide in Plain Sight (1980) as Sal Carvello
 * Fort Apache the Bronx (1981) as Morgan
 * Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981) as Johnson
 * Once Upon a Time in America (1984) as Police Chief Vincent Aiello
 * Old Enough (1984) as Mr. Bruckner
 * Deathmask (1984) as Capt. Mike Grasso
 * The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) as Monk
 * The Stuff (1985) as Vickers
 * The Protector (1985) as Danny Garoni
 * Key Exchange (1985) as Carabello
 * Radio Days (1987) as Rocco
 * Man on Fire (1987) as Conti
 * The Pick-up Artist (1987) as Phil Harper
 * Moonstruck (1987) as Mr. Johnny Cammareri
 * Russicum - I giorni del diavolo (1988) as George Sherman
 * The January Man (1989) as Captain Vincent Alcoa
 * White Hot (1989) as Charlie Buick
 * Do the Right Thing (1989) as Salvatore "Sal" Fragione
 * Shocktroop (1989) as John Cunningham
 * Harlem Nights (1989) as Phil Cantone
 * Jacob's Ladder (1990) as Louis
 * Madonna: The Immaculate Collection (1990) as Papa (segment "Papa Don't Preach")
 * The Closer (1990) as Chester Grant[citation needed]
 * Once Around (1991) as Joe Bella
 * Hudson Hawk (1991) as Tommy Five-Tone
 * 29th Street (1991) as Frank Pesce Sr.
 * Ruby (1992) as Jack Ruby
 * The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (1992) as Tony Rosato
 * Mistress (1992) as Carmine Rasso
 * The Cemetery Club (1993) as Ben Katz
 * The Pickle (1993) as Harry Stone
 * Me and the Kid (1993) as Harry
 * Léon: The Professional (1994) as Tony
 * Prêt-à-Porter (1994) as Major Hamilton
 * Save the Rabbits (1994) as Ronnie
 * Power of Attorney (1995) as Joseph Scassi
 * Lieberman in Love (1995) as Joe Lieberman
 * Two Much (1995) as Gene
 * City Hall (1996) as Frank Anselmo
 * 2 Days in the Valley (1996) Dosmo Pizzo
 * Mojave Moon (1996) as Al
 * Dellaventura (1997–1998, 14 episodes) as Anthony Dellaventura
 * Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook as Host
 * Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis (1997) as Mr. Rathbone
 * The Last Don (1997) as Don Domenico Clericuzio
 * A Brooklyn State of Mind (1997) as Danny Parente
 * Wilbur Falls (1998) as Phillip Devereaux
 * Mambo Café (2000) as Joey
 * Dinner Rush (2000) as Louis Cropa
 * Prince of Central Park (2000) as Noah Cairn
 * 18 Shades of Dust (2001) as Vincent Dianni
 * Off Key (2001) as Fabrizio Bernini
 * Mail Order Bride [de] (2003) as Tony Santini
 * Zeyda and the Hitman (2004) as Nathan
 * The Fool (2005) as Voice of the Dummy
 * Brooklyn Lobster (2005) as Frank Giorgio
 * Lucky Number Slevin (2006) as Roth
 * Last Request (2006) as Pop
 * A Broken Sole (2006) as The Shoemaker
 * Harry: A Communication Breakdown (2009) as Narrator
 * Stiffs (2010) as Frank Tramontana
 * Dolly Baby (2013) as Tony Lanza
 * Henry & Me (2014) as Dr. Acosta (voice)
 * Reach Me (2014) as Father Paul
 * The Neighborhood (2017) as Joseph Donatello