Danny Aiello – Proud Italian American

Daniel Louis “Danny” Aiello, Jr. is an 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, Once Around and Dinner Rush. He had a pivotal role in the 1989 Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing as Salvatore “Sal” Frangione, the pizzeria owner, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Aiello also played Don Domenico Clericuzio in a miniseries, Mario Puzo’s The Last Don.

Aiello, the fifth of six children, was born on West 68th Street, Manhattan, 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. Aiello’s father deserted the family even though his wife had gone blind. For many years, Aiello had publicly condemned his father’s desertion of his children and his blind wife. Aiello reconciled with his father in 1993, but to this day harbors a resentment of his father’s conduct. He moved to the South Bronx when he was age 7 and later attended James Monroe High School. At the age of 16, Aiello lied about his age in order 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 also once served as a union representative for Greyhound Bus workers and was a night club bouncer at the legendary New York comedy club, The Improv.

Aiello lived in Ramsey, New Jersey, for many years. He later moved to Saddle River, New Jersey. He is the father of stuntman and actor Danny Aiello III, who died May 1, 2010 of pancreatic cancer, Rick Aiello., Jaime Aiello, and daughter Stacey Aiello. Grandfather to Dawn and Allison Aiello, Brielle Aiello, Ricky Aiello, Tori Aiello, Sydney and Gabrielle Fingerhut, Zac Aiello, Jake Aiello, and William Daniel Poppe.

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

From Wikipedia

From You Tube

Dominic and Frank forever Celebrating Life, Love and the Italian Experience

Click here to visit our webpage – Everybody Loves Italian