Danny Aiello is a veteran Italian - American actor who began appearing in films in the early 70’s, since then he has made many valuable contributions to the world of cinema. He has also pocketed the title of a singer with the release of a few albums. With his hand in both these fields, the critics have credited him as a critically acclaimed entertainer. Personal Life
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Daniel Louis Aiello was born to Daniel Aiello Sr. and Frances on 20th June 1933 in Manhattan. As a child, he was left with an emotional scar when his father abandoned his mother who had lost her sight and his five other siblings. Although in 1993, he reunited with his father, it is known that he still hasn’t forgotten the bitter memories his father left. By the age of seven, the family had shifted to South Bronx where he was educated in The James Monroe High School. Keen on joining the U.S. Army, the actor enrolled in the army by stating the wrong age and gained an experience of 3 years in the army.
On returning home from the army, Daniel fell in love with Sandy Cohen and they married in 1955, the marriage produced four children, Danny, Rick , Jamie and Stacy. As the members increased, he took up a few job to keep his family afloat. Aiello worked as bouncer in a celebrated comedy club and was also union representative for bus workers. It was while working in The Improv comedy club he found his talent for acting and began his career. Danny Aiello’s autobiography, ‘I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies’ was published in 2014.
Career
Aiello started his career in acting at the age of 36. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) was his first movie in which he shared the screen alongside Robert De Niro as a baseball player. In 1974, he acted as Tony Rosato in The Godfather Part 3. It wasn’t a significant role but that didn’t stop him from gifting the world the famous dialogue “Michael Corleone says hello!”.
In 1981, the actor acted in A Family of Strangers for which he was awarded an Emmy. His other movies include Fort Apache, The Bronx, Defiance. The movie that won him the prestigious Oscar nomination was director Spike Lee’s 1989 comedy drama Do the Right Thing, Aiello had written and acted in a vital scene that was generated a few minutes, before the shoot.
The nominations poured in for this role including the Boston Critic Award and The Golden Globe Award. The actor has acted in more than 80 films and continues to do so. Aiello has attained theatre credits through his Broadway Acts including Gemini, Wheelbarrow Closers, The Shoemaker and others. He has established himself as a singer through the release of his albums My Christmas Song for You and Live from Atlantic City. He sang in movies Hudson Hawk and Once Around as well.
Last Modified: Mar 7, 2020
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