Danny Aiello

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Danny Aiello

Born June 20, 1933 (1933-06-20) (age 74)
New York, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s) Sandy Cohen (1955 - present)
Official website

Daniel Louis Aiello, Jr. (born June 20, 1933[1]) is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon: The Professional, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush. He had a pivotal role in the 1989 Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing, earning a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Sal, the pizzeria owner.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Aiello, the second youngest of six children, was born in Manhattan,[2] the son of Italian American parents Frances (née Pietrocova), a seamstress who was a native of Naples, Italy, and Daniel Louis Aiello, Sr., a laborer.[3][4][1] He moved to the South Bronx when he was seven and attended James Monroe High School.[4] At sixteen years old, Aiello lied about his age in order to enlist in the U.S. Army. After serving for three years, he returned to NYC and did various jobs in order to support himself and later his family. Aiello also once served as a union representative for Greyhound bus workers, and was a night club bouncer.

[edit] Career

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Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2007)

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 DeNiro.

He was paired with DeNiro again for the 1984 Sergio Leone gangster epic Once Upon a Time in America as a police chief whose name was also Aiello. His many film appearances included three for director Woody Allen, who cast him in The Purple Rose of Cairo, Broadway Danny Rose and Radio Days.

Although his characters have often been vulgar and violent, Aiello has also portrayed sensitive, kindly men with an earthy sense of humor. He gained recognition as the befuddled fiance of Cher opposite her Oscar-winning performance in Moonstruck (1987), and the actor made a comic appearance in drag for the Robert Altman fashion-industry film Pret-a-Porter. He also had sympathetic roles in Jacob's Ladder and 29th Street.

He played nightclub owner and Lee Harvey Oswald assassin Jack Ruby in the 1992 biopic Ruby and a political bigshot with mob ties in City Hall starring Al Pacino.

Aiello has a fine singing voice, which has been on display in films such as Hudson Hawk and Once Around. He has released several albums featuring a big-band sound. Aiello and EMI songwriter Hasan Johnson are releasing an album in 2008 of standards fused with rap entitled "Bridges"

In 1981 Danny Aiello won a Daytime Emmy award for his appearance in an ABC After School Special called A Family of Strangers.

He played the title character for the video of Madonna's song "Papa Don't Preach."

[edit] Personal life

Aiello lived in Ramsey, New Jersey since the early 1980s.[5] He later moved to Saddle River, New Jersey.[6]

During an interview with Sean Hannity, Aiello pointed out that he is also a Conservative and was raised Roman Catholic. He has also criticized the overuse of foul language in films and television series, as well as criticised movies and television shows featuring poor portrayals of Italian-Americans, especially, The Sopranos.

Aiello is the uncle of New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, and the Great uncle to Sgt William F. Humphries of the US Air Force and Daniel Aiello, who is also an actor/singer out of Long Island.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Danny Aiello Biography (1933?-)
  2. ^ AIELLO, Danny International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.
  3. ^ HIS BUS CAME IN - New York Times
  4. ^ a b Danny Aiello Biography - Yahoo! Movies
  5. ^ Golden, Tim. "FILM; Danny Aiello Journeys Along The Blue-Collar Road to Stardom", The New York Times, February 10, 1991. Accessed January 23, 2008. "Though friends say he is cashing paychecks of close to $1 million, Mr. Aiello and his wife, Sandy, live in the same split-level house in Ramsey, N.J., that they bought a decade ago for $125,000."
  6. ^ Saddle River, The Star-Ledger by Andrea Adams, April 28, 2005. "Last year, instead of amusements during the day, Saddle River Night featured a band concert by a 40-piece orchestra, as well as the family-style picnic and a special treat: Saddle River resident Danny Aiello sang a few songs after the band concert."

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Aiello, Danny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Actor
DATE OF BIRTH 1933-06-20
PLACE OF BIRTH New York, New York, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH