Italian American Actors

@chazzpalminteri Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri was born on May 15, 1952, in the Bronx borough of New York City, the son of Rose, a homemaker, and Lorenzo Palminteri, a bus driver. He was raised in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx.Palminteri is of Sicilian origin; his grandparents, Calogero Palminteri and Rosa Bonfante, married in 1908, and immigrated to the United States in 1910 from Menfi in the province of Agrigento, Sicily. Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" is an American actor. He is best known for his film roles in A Bronx Tale (1993), based on his play of the same name, Bullets Over Broadway (1994) for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and The Usual Suspects (1995), as well as his recurring role as Shorty in Modern Family (2010–2019). His other notable films include Hurlyburly (1998), Analyze This (1999), Down to Earth (2001), Hookwinked! (2005), Running Scared (2006), and Legend (2015). He is also known for his recurring roles in Wiseguy (1989), Kojak (2005), Rizzoli & Isles (2010–2014) and Godfather of Harlem (2019–2021).Gravesend Series 2. #chazzpalminteri #bronxtale #italianamericanactors #italianamericanactor

Sofia Carmina Coppola (Italian pronunciation: [soˈfiːa karˈmiːna ˈkoppola]; born May 14, 1971) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and former actress. She has received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Golden Lion,and a Cannes Film Festival Award,as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.Coppola was born in New York City on May 14, 1971,[8] the youngest child and only daughter of documentarian Eleanor (née Neil) and filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. She is of Italian descent (Lucanian) and Neapolitan on her father’s side[11] and was raised on her parents’ farm in Rutherford, California.At 15, Coppola interned with Chanel.Coppola graduated from St. Helena High School in 1989.She first studied at Mills College and transferred to the California Institute of the Arts from 1993 to 1994 to focus on painting.Thereafter, she attended Art Center College of Design, she made her acting debut as an infant in her father’s acclaimed crime drama The Godfather (1972). Coppola later appeared in several music videos and had a supporting role in the fantasy comedy film Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). She then portrayed Mary Corleone, the daughter of Michael Corleone, in the sequel The Godfather Part III (1990).debut in the coming-of-age drama The Virgin Suicides (1999). Coppola received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the comedy-drama Lost in Translation (2003), and became the third woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director.She has since directed the historical drama Marie Antoinette (2006), the family drama Somewhere (2010), the satirical crime drama The Bling Ring (2013), the southern gothic thriller The Beguiled (2017), the comedy On the Rocks (2020), and the biographical drama Priscilla (2023).In 2015, Coppola released the Netflix Christmas musical comedy special A Very Murray Christmas, which earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. @sofiacoppola @francisfordcoppola #italianamericanactors #italianamericanactress #italianamericandirector #italianamericanscreenwriter #sofiacoppola #francisfordcoppola #westcoastitalians #weareitalians

Louis Vanaria is an Italian-American actor and singer from the Bronx, best known for his roles in crime dramas, including “Crazy Mario” in A Bronx Tale (1993), The Irishman (2019), and Godfather of Harlem. He has appeared in numerous TV series and films, often portraying characters in Mob-related genres. Filmography: Notable roles include A Bronx Tale (1993), The Irishman (2019), Boardwalk Empire, and The Many Saints of Newark.Young at Heart, Bugface, 1995, Kirk 1995-1996, Saved by the Bell: The New Cl... 1997 Bongo, A Soldier’s Sweetheart 1998 Bobbie D ,The Don of 42nd Street, NYPD Blue,Falcone 2000,Growing Down in Brooklyn 2000, Growing Down in Brooklyn 2000 , Plan B 2001, Don’t Say a Word, This Thing of Ours 2002, Third Watch, 2004,Searching for Bobby D 2005, Law & Order: Criminal Intent,They’re Just My Friends 2006, Law & Order,Super Slice 2007 2009, Baby Bomber 2009 , Mercy 2010 , Boardwalk Empire 2010 , Stiffs 2010, Bronx Paradise, 2012 Gunner’s Rift 2012 The Grasslands 2011 HERO , Vito Bonafacci 2011 , Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn 2013, Person of Interest, 2011-2013,Blue Bloods 2013 , The Restaurant Job 2012 The Mysteries of Laura 2015 Mi Hijo 2015 Joey JIAT Friends and Romans 2014 Milt 2014 The Wolf of Wall Street 2013 , Contract 2013 Snitch , Bare Knuckle Brawler 2019 Watched Arny Simms The Kitchen 2019 , The Neighborhood 2018, Mr. Frank 2018 Money The Deuce 2017 Joe’s War 2016 , The Good Fight 2017 Gravesend 2020 Gasper Zerletta , 5th Borough 2020 , Duped 2019 Detective Richard Caiola Lili’s Place Presents Johnny M... 2019 Angelo MUCKIE The Irishman 2019 , Eileen 2023, Jerry, Fuhgedd About It . 2022 Ponzio,Uninvited for the Holidays 2022, Freddy , Micki 2022 Power Book III: Raising Kanan 2022,The Many Saints of Newark 2021, Diamond 2025 Vinnie, Law & Order: Special Victims..., The Families Feud 2023 ,The Featherweight,Godfather of Harlem, 2021-2023 Television: Acted in the sitcom Kirk (1995-1996) and had guest roles in the Law & Order franchise. Music: Vanaria is also a singer/songwriter. Background: Born in the Bronx, New York, of Sicilian descent. #louisvanaria #italiananericanactors #italiananericansingers

Valentina Caniglia is an Italian Cinematographerand director. The first Italian American woman Cinematographer , a Member of American Society of cinematographers ASC ; a member of the Collective Chiaroscuro Society of Cinematographers, CCS ; a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; a member of the European Federation of Cinematographers (IMAGO); a member of the Television Academy Arts and Sciences. Valentina is part of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 Director Of Photography. She won the American Society of Cinematographers, ASC Caniglia was born in Naples, Italy. She moved to London. England to commence her career as a cinematographer and later relocated to #NYC . She graduated from New York University with a degree in film production and began working in feature films, TV series,commercials, music videos, and documentaries.Working in the U.S since 2001. Music videos, The Stand, for Aesop Rock,Enzo Gragnaniello ,The Roots Articolo 31,The Stein. The period film, Madeline’s Oil, winning the Best Cinematography award at the Louisiana International Film Festival. Worked on the film Pomegranates and Myrrh, 31L8) winner of the Golden Dagger at the Muscat Film Festival for Best Cinematography. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received the Best Film Award at Doha Tribeca Film Festival. Caniglia worked on Soyka and has been the two-time winner of the Best Cinematography award at the New York Cinematography Awards and Canadian Cinematography Awards.Sne won ine Best Cinematography award at the Los Angeles Film Festival for Fire In Water. 91 Other works by Valentina Caniglia include Without Grace, 3 Days Rising, Adieu, Lacan, and the video “Stand for a Change” starring Vanessa Williams and Billy Porter. She was the cinematographer for the Apple TV+ series Dear X S2!11] and The Captain. Caniglia directed The Amytal Therapy, nominated for Best Director ,Chelsea Film Festival & the London International Film Festival. #valentinacaniglia worked as cinematographer for HBO, Netflix, Voyage TV, and Showtime 31 and filmed commercials for British Airways, Ford Motor Co. Nike GBX Shoes, latter receiving the Telly Award.

Maria Caniglia (5 May 1905 – 16 April 1979) was one of the leading, Italian Spinto Sopranos of the 1930’s-1940’s. Caniglia was born in Naples and studied at the music conservatories of Naples with Agostino Roche.She made her professional debut in Turin as Chrysothemis in Elektra in 1930. The same year she sang Magda in Respighi’s La campana sommersa in Geneva and Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin in Rome and made her debut at La Scala in Milan as Maria in Pizzetti’s Lo straniero. She sang regularly at La Scala until 1951 in the leading dramatic soprano roles in opera, such as Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino, Aida, Andrea Chénier, Tosca and Adriana Lecouvreur. She was particularly successful in roles from the latter verismo school. On the international scene, Caniglia appeared in venues such as the Palais Garnier, Covent Garden, and the Teatro Colón. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on 21 November 1938 as Desdemona in Otello. Caniglia participated in the exhumation of a few long-forgotten operas such as Donizetti’s Poliuto and Verdi’s Oberto. She also participated in the creation of many contemporary works: Manuela in Montemezzi’s La notte di Zoraima, Milan, 1931, Rosanna in Alfano’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Rome, 1936, and the title role of Respighi’s Lucrezia, Rome, 1937. Caniglia regularly worked with the greatest conductors and singers, and left recordings of some of her great roles, notably Un ballo in maschera, and Aida (conducted by Tullio Serafin), Andrea Chénier and Tosca conducted by Oliviero De Fabritis),all opposite tenor Beniamino Gigli; La forza del destino (cond. Gino Marinuzzi), Don Carlo, Fedora and Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini, this last conducted by Antonio Guarnieri.celebrated for her dramatic intensity and long-standing partnership with tenor Beniamino Gigli. She was a premier star at La Scala (1930–1951) Caniglia was married in 1939 to Italian composer Pino Donati (1907-1975), who was also music director of the Verona Arena, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and the Chicago Lyric Opera. She died in Rome, aged 73. She is the great Aunt of @valentinacanigliadp #italiansopranosinger #spintosoprano #mariacaniglia

Licia Albanese (July 22, 1909 – August 15, 2014) was an Italian-born American operatic soprano.Noted especially for her portrayals of the lyric heroines of Verdi and Puccini, Albanese was a leading artist with the Metropolitan Opera from 1940 to 1966. She also made many recordings and was chairwoman of The Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting young artists and singers.born in July 1909 in Torre Pelosa, (a subdivision of Noicattaro, Italy). Later she went to Torre a Mare, a quarter of Bari (chief town of the Apulia region).She made her unofficial debut in Milan in 1934, when she replaced another soprano in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the role for which she would be celebrated. Over 40 years, she sang more than 300 performances of Cio-Cio-San. Although she has been praised for many of her roles, including Mimì, Violetta, Liù and Manon Lescaut, it is her portrayal of the geisha which has remained her best in that same year (1934) at the Teatro Municipale in Bari, singing in La bohème, or in Parma, or in Milan in 1935 in Madama Butterfly. By the end of that year, she had debuted at La Scala as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. She soon realized great success all over the world, especially for her performances in Carmen, L’amico Fritz and Madama Butterfly in Italy, France and England.Albanese made her Metropolitan Opera debut on February 9, 1940, in the first of 72 performances as Madama Butterfly at the old Metropolitan Opera House in spite of the fact that after the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, performances of that opera were banned in the U.S. until the end of World War II. Her success was instantaneous, and Albanese remained at the Met for 26 seasons, performing a total of 427 performances of 17 roles , 16 operas. She left the company in 1966, After performing in four productions during 1965/66,performances of La bohème and La traviata with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in NBC’s Studio 1946. Both performances were later issued on LP and CD by RCA Victor. In 1959, Albanese sang for thousands , radio NY philharmonic Italian night broadcast #liciaalbanese #italianamericansingers #italianamericanoperasingers #italianamericanactors

Rosa Ponzillo, known as #RosaPonselle (January 22, 1897 – May 25, 1981) was an American operatic dramatic #soprano . She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan #Opera and is generally considered to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century.Her parents were Italian immigrants from Caiazzo, near Caserta. Ponselle had an exceptionally mature voice at an early age and, at least in her early years, sang on natural endowment with little, if any, vocal training. Instead, her early prowess as a piano student (which was cultivated by a local music teacher, Anna Ryan, the organist of a nearby Catholic church), seemed to incline Rosa to instrumental rather than vocal music. But with the influence example of her older sister, Carmela, who was then pursuing a career as a cabaret singer, Rosa began to augment her engagements as a silent-movie accompanist in and around Meriden by singing popular ballads to her audiences while the projectionist changed film reels. By 1914, her reputation as a singer led to a long-term engagement at the San Carlino theater, one of the largest movie houses in New Haven, near the Yale campus.By then, Carmela was already an established singer in vaudeville after her debut in The Girl from Brighton, a 1912 Broadway musical. Three years later,1915, Carmela brought Rosa to audition for her vaudeville agent. In spite of being markedly overweight (a stark contrast to the fashion-model physique of her older sister), Rosa impressed with her voice, and she was hired to perform with Carmela as a “sister act”. 1915 - 1918, the Ponzillo Sisters (known as “Those Tailored Italian Girls”) became a headlining act on the Keith Vaudeville Circuit, appearing in all the major Keith theaters and earning a substantial income in the process. The sisters’ act consisted of traditional ballads, popular Italian songs, operatic arias and duets.Metropolitan Opera debut and early operatic career, she was discovered by Caruso, made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera on November 15, 1918, just a few days after World War I had ended, as Leonora in Verdi’s La forza del destino, opposite Caruso and Giuseppe De Luca. #italianamericansingers #italianamericanactors

Andrea Bocelli , (born 22 Sept. 1958)is an Italian tenor singer. He rose to fame in 1994 after winning the newcomers’ section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing “Il mare calmo della sera” Bocelli was born to Alessandro and Edi Bocelli . His sight was impaired from birth due to congenital glaucoma. He stated that his mother’s decision to give birth to him and overrule the doctor’s advice - to abort the pregnancy due to a high possibility of the child being born with a disability - was the inspiration for him to oppose abortion. Bocelli grew up on his family’s farm, with a younger brother Alberto, where they sold farm machinery and made wine in the small village of La Sterza, near Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy, . Bocelli showed a great passion for music as a young boy. His mother has said that music was the only thing that would comfort him. He started piano lessons at age 6 and later learned to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, and drums.His nanny Oriana gave him the first record of Franco Corelli, and he began to show interest in pursuing the career of a tenor.By age 7, he was able to recognize the famous voices of the time and tried to emulate the great singers. At age 12, Bocelli lost his vision completely after being hit in the eye with a football. Doctors resorted to leeches in an effort to save his sight, but they were unsuccessful & he remained blind. Since 1994, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo studio albums of both pop and classical music, three greatest hits albums, & nine complete operas, selling over 90 million records worldwide.His album Romanza is one of the best-selling albums of all time, while Sacred Arias is the biggest selling classical album by any solo artist in history.My Christmas was the best-selling holiday album of 2009.His song “Con te partirò”, a duet with Sarah Brightman taken from his second album Bocelli, is one of the best-selling singles of all time.In 1998, Bocelli was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People.He duetted with Celine Dion on the song “The Prayer” for animated film Quest for Camelot, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. #andreabocelli #italianoperasinger

Luciano Pavarotti 12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone and the nickname “King of the High Cs”. As one of the Three Tenors, who performed their first concert during the 1990 FIFA World Cup before a global audience, Pavarotti became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. From the beginning of his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy to his final performance of “Nessun dorma” at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Pavarotti was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles, and Puccini works such as La bohème, Tosca, Turandot and Madama Butterfly. He sold more than 100 million records,and the first Three Tenors recording became the best-selling classical album of all time. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross, amongst others. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1988. Pavarotti was born and raised in Modena in Northern Italy, the son of Fernando Pavarotti, a baker and amateur tenor, and Adele Venturi, a cigar factory worker.Although he spoke fondly of his childhood, the family had little money; its four members were crowded into a two-room apartment. According to Pavarotti, his father had a fine tenor voice but rejected the possibility of a singing career because of nervousness. World War II forced the family out of the city in 1943. For the following year, they rented a single room from a farmer in the neighbouring countryside, where the young Pavarotti developed an interest in farming.In addition to music, as a child, Pavarotti enjoyed playing football. When he graduated from the Scuola Magistrale he was interested in pursuing a career as a professional football goalkeeper, Pavarotti began the serious study of music in 1954 at the age of 19 .Pavarotti never learned to read music. #LucianoPavarotti #italianoperasinger

Jennifer Esposito (born April 11, 1973)is an American actress and director. She is known for her roles in the feature films Summer of Sam (1999), Don’t Say a Word (2001), The Master of Disguise (2002), Welcome to Collinwood (2002), Crash (2004), Taxi (2004), and Mob Town (2019). She has also appeared in several television series, most notably The Looney Tunes Show, Spin City, Related, Samantha Who?, Blue Bloods, and Mistresses. From 2016 to 2017, she played Special Agent Alexandra Quinn on the CBS series NCIS, while from 2019 to 2020, she played CIA Deputy Director Susan Raynor in the Amazon series The Boys.Fresh Kills Francine Larusso Director, writer and producer. Jennifer was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and is of Italian descent.She was raised on Staten Island in Bulls Head and is a graduate of Moore Catholic High School. For more info go to #Imdb #jenniferesposito #italianamericanactress #italianamericanactors #freshkills

Joe Causi, widely known as “Brooklyn’s Own,” is a legendary New York City radio personality and disc jockey with a career spanning over four decades. 📻 Radio Career & Legacy Station: He is a staple on WCBS-FM 101.1, where he hosts the Saturday night “Soundtrack” from 7:00 PM to midnight. Background: Raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, Causi began his career in the early 1980s. He gained national fame as the morning personality for the iconic Disco 92 (WKTU). Stations Worked: His resume includes stints at KTU 92 AM, KTU 103.5 FM, MIX 102.7 FM, and SiriusXM. Lifetime Achievement: In January 2025, he received a lifetime achievement award from Live Nation during a concert at the Westbury Theater. Upcoming Events: He continues to host live events, including an upcoming Q&A with actor Steve Schirripa on January 31, 2026, and various “Old School” disco and dance nights across the New York metro area. Podcast: He co-hosts the “Brooklyn’s Own” podcast with “Intern Anthony” Malerba, discussing pop culture and their shared Italian-American heritage. Acting: Causi has appeared as a voice actor (Radio DJ) in the horror film Terrifier (2016) and as himself in Joe’s War (2016).Brooklyn’s Own” Podcast Starring Joe Causi. Community: He frequently serves as Grand Marshall for New York parades, including the Feast of San Gennaro and the Christopher Columbus parade.He is of Sicilian descent. #joecausi #italianamericanradiohost #italianamericanactors #discjockey #brooklynsown #joecausidiscjockey #brooklynsownjoecausi #sicilian #brooklynsownpodcast

Bobby Cannavale (born May 3, 1970)is an American actor. His breakthrough came with the leading role as FDNY Paramedic Roberto “Bobby” Caffey in the NBC series Third Watch, a role he played from 1999 to 2001. Cannavale received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Will & Grace in 2005, and received nominations for his recurring role on Nurse Jackie 2012, 2013.He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for portraying Gyp Rosetti in Boardwalk Empire in 2013.Other television roles include Vinyl, Mr. Robot, Blue Bloods and Master of None. He has also starred in the Amazon Prime series Homecoming (2018–20), the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers 2021, and Netflix’s The Watcher (2022). Cannavale made his Broadway debut in the 2008 Theresa Rebeck play Mauritius for which he earned a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In 2011, he starred in the Stephen Adly Guirgis comedic play The Motherfucker with the Hat, earning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. He portrayed Richard Roma in the 2012 revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. Cannavale has acted in the drama films The Station Agent (2003), Win Win (2011), Blue Jasmine (2013), I, Tonya (2017), Motherless Brooklyn (2019), The Irishman (2019), and Blonde (2022) as well as the comedy films Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), The Other Guys (2010), Annie (2014), Spy (2015), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). He entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) portraying Jim Paxton in Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). He has voiced recurring roles for the animated Netflix series BoJack Horseman and Big Mouth, and provided voice acting work for The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, Ferdinand (both 2017), Tom & Jerry, Sing 2 & Under the Boardwalk (2023). Cannavale was born , in Union City, New Jersey,where he grew up, the son of Isabel and Salvatore “Sal” Cannavale. His father is of Italian descent, while his mother is Cuban . His uncle Enzo Cannavale, an Italian actor who performed in the Cinema Paradiso. Attended St. Michael's Catholic School, Union Hill H.S, Coconut Creek H.S #bobbycannavale