Vincent "Vinny" Guadagnino, one of the stars of MTV's hit show Jersey Shore, was born and raised in Staten Island, New York and comes from a traditional Italian-American family. His mother was born on Sicily,[1] which led to a storyline in Jersey Shore's fourth season where the housemates visit Guadagnino's family farm.
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Guadagnino graduated from CUNY College of Staten Island with a 3.9 GPA[2] and was a political aide for a New York State Assemblyman. He had planned to attend law school, but since the show took off, Guadagnino’s professional interests have shifted from the law to entertainment and acting.
After the success of Jersey Shore, Guadagnino has dedicated his extra time to taking acting classes and honing his craft.[3] A self-described natural entertainer, Guadagnino’s interest in acting is focused on comedy. He recently guest-starred on MTV’s scripted comedy series The Hard Times of RJ Berger playing the role of RJ’s cousin, and was also featured in an episode of 90210 which aired November 8, 2011.[4] Guadagnino has expressed interest in continuing to appear on 90210 in a recurring role.[5]. He appeared in another 90210 episode entitled "O Holly Night" in his recurring role.
Guadagnino launched a line of tires for the charity “I Have A Vision,” with proceeds donated to anti-bullying.[6] In collaboration with the charity organization, “Do Something,” the shirts read “F*** Bullies” as its anti-bullying message. He also supports the animal rescue organization Much Love, for whom he recently participated in a charity auction. Guadagnino has been a presenter at the GLAAD awards.
In December of 2011, a song posted on Vinny's YouTube account contained lyrics that drew criticism from advocacy groups. Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network publicly addressed the issue saying, "The lyrics in Vinny Guadagnino's new rap song that glorify rape are ignorant. Trivializing this violent crime sends a dangerous message to the public." Guadagnino quickly pulled the video from his YouTube account and issued the following statement, "I'd like to apologize for the rap. Was meant to be a funny take on an already 'dirty' song - funny since I'm known as the 'good boy,'" Guadagnino wrote. "I am 100 percent against violence of any kind. I work with many organizations to stop violence and bullying, and will continue to. It's something I strongly believe in. Very sorry to anyone I've offended." [7]
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