Danny Aiello

For his son, the stuntman, stunt coordinator, and actor, see Danny Aiello III.

Danny Aiello
Aiello in New York City, December 2011
Born	Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. (1933-06-20)June 20, 1933 New York City, U.S.
Died	December 12, 2019(2019-12-12) (aged 86) Saddle River, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970–2019
Spouse	Sandy Cohen ​ (m. 1955)​
Children	4, including Danny Aiello III and Rick Aiello
Relatives	Michael Kay (nephew)
Website	dannyaiello.com

Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. (/aɪˈɛloʊ/) (June 20, 1933^[1] – December 12, 2019) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous motion pictures, including The Godfather Part II (1974), The Front (1976), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Hide in Plain Sight (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Moonstruck (1987), Harlem Nights (1989), Do the Right Thing (1989), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Hudson Hawk (1991), Ruby (1992), Léon: The Professional (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Dinner Rush (2000), and Lucky Number Slevin (2006). He played Don Domenico Clericuzio in the miniseries The Last Don (1997).

Aiello was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Salvatore "Sal" Frangione in the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing (1989).

Early life

Aiello, the fifth of six children, was born on West 68th Street, Manhattan,^[2] the son of parents Frances Pietrocova, a seamstress from Naples, Italy, and Daniel Louis Aiello, a laborer who deserted the family after his wife lost her eyesight and became legally blind.^[3] For many years, Aiello publicly condemned his father, but the two reconciled in 1993, although Aiello harbored a resentment of his father's conduct.^[4][5] He was of Italian descent.^[6] He moved to the South Bronx when he was seven, and later attended James Monroe High School.^[5]

At the age of 16, Aiello lied about his age to enlist in the United States 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.^[7][8]

In the 1960s, Aiello served as president of New York Local 1202 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, representing Greyhound Bus workers. In 1967, he presided over an unsanctioned wildcat strike when the company changed bus driver schedules.^[9] The strike was called without authorization by the parent union and he was suspended for that action. He called off the strike after one day.^[10]

He was also a bouncer at the legendary New York City comedy club, The Improv.^[11] In the mid-1980s, he was a nightly regular at Café Central, a bistro frequented by celebrities on 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, in Manhattan, and at an eatery named Columbus restaurant on 66th Street and Columbus Avenue.^[12]

Career

With actress Estelle Parsons in 1977

Film and television

Aiello broke into films in the early 1970s. One of his earliest roles came as a ballplayer in the baseball drama, Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), with Robert De Niro. Aiello had a walk-on role as small-time hood Tony Rosato in The Godfather Part II (1974), ad-libbing the line "Michael Corleone says hello!" during a hit on rival gangster Frank Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo).^[13]

Aiello had a co-lead role with Jan-Michael Vincent in Defiance (1980), about some Manhattan residents who fight back against the thugs terrorizing the neighborhood. He received considerable acclaim for playing a racist New York City cop in Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981) with Paul Newman. In 1981, Aiello won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for his appearance in an ABC Afterschool Special called A Family of Strangers.^[14]

He was paired with De Niro again for the Sergio Leone gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America (1984), as a police chief whose name was also "Aiello." His many film appearances included two for director Woody Allen, who cast him in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Radio Days (1987).^[15] He played a main role in the 1985-86 television series Lady Blue.^[16]

Aiello played the pizzeria owner Sal in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). At the time of the film's release, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, he called the role his "first focal part". He further identified the film as a very collaborative effort, during which Spike Lee at one point told him, "Whatever you wanna do, you do." Aiello went on to write a crucial scene he shared with John Turturro ten minutes prior to its production.^[17] The role earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, while the film critics' associations of Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles each named him best supporting actor.^[18]

Aiello also portrayed more sympathetic characters. He gained recognition as the befuddled fiancé of Cher opposite her Oscar-winning performance in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987), and made a comic appearance in drag for the Robert Altman fashion-industry film Prêt-à-Porter (1994).^[19] He also had sympathetic roles in the horror thriller Jacob's Ladder (1990) and the comedy-drama 29th Street (1991).

Aiello played nightclub owner and Lee Harvey Oswald assassin Jack Ruby in the biopic Ruby (1992), the lead role in Paul Mazursky's film business satire The Pickle (1993), the titular character in the Academy Award-winning short film Lieberman in Love (1995), and a political big shot with mob ties in City Hall (1996), starring Al Pacino. He later starred in the independent feature film Dolly Baby (2012), written and directed by Kevin Jordan; Aiello also starred in Jordan's Brooklyn Lobster, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005.^[20]

Music

Aiello's singing was on display in films such as Hudson Hawk (1991), Once Around (1991), and Remedy (2005) that starred his son Ricky Aiello and Jonathan Doscher. He released several albums featuring a big-band including I Just Wanted to Hear The Words (2004), Live from Atlantic City (2008), and My Christmas Song for You (2010). Aiello and EMI songwriter Hasan Johnson released an album of standards fused with rap entitled Bridges in 2011.^[21]

He played the father for the video of Madonna's song, "Papa Don't Preach" (1986), and recorded his own answer song, "Papa Wants the Best for You", written by Artie Schroeck.^[22]

Theater

Aiello appeared on the Broadway stage many times throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in three plays by Louis La Russo II: Lamppost Reunion (his Broadway debut - 1975), Wheelbarrow Closers (1976), and Knockout (1979). In 1977, he originated the role of Fran Geminiani in the long-running play Gemini.^[23]

In 1981, Aiello starred in Woody Allen's play The Floating Light Bulb alongside Beatrice Arthur. The play, set in 1945, is a semi-autobiographical tale of a lower middle class family living in Brooklyn, New York City. Frank Rich, critic from The New York Times gave the play a mild review, writing "there are a few laughs, a few well-wrought characters, and, in Act II, a beautifully written scene that leads to a moving final curtain". Rich also compared the play to the work of Tennessee Williams.^[24]

In the mid-1980s, Aiello starred in a replacement cast version of Hurlyburly (1984) alongside Christine Baranski, Frank Langella, Ron Silver, and Candice Bergen. He also starred in The House of Blue Leaves (1986) alongside John Mahoney (who earned a Tony Award for his performance), Ben Stiller, Stockard Channing, and Julie Hagerty^[25]

In 2002, Aiello starred in Elaine May's comedic play, Adult Entertainment alongside May's daughter, Jeannie Berlin. The play was directed by Stanley Donen and opened off-broadway at the Variety Arts Theatre. Critic Ben Brantley of The New York Times, described the play as an "often very funny, but overstretched comedy sketch".^[26]

In July 2011, Aiello appeared Off-Broadway in the two-act drama The Shoemaker, written by Susan Charlotte and directed by Antony Marsellis. The play is a stage version of his 2006 movie A Broken Sole, which began life in 2001 as a one-act play.^[27]

Personal life

Aiello lived in Ramsey, New Jersey, for many years with his wife, Sandy Cohen, whom Aiello married in 1955.^[28] He later moved to Saddle River, New Jersey.^[29]

In 2014, Aiello published his autobiography, I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, on the Stage, and in the Movies via Simon & Schuster.^[30] He was the father of stuntman and actor Danny Aiello III, who died in 2010 of pancreatic cancer.^[31] Another son Rick, who was also an actor, died in 2021 of the same disease. His surviving children are Jaime, and Stacey Aiello.^[14] His nephew is Michael Kay, broadcaster for the New York Yankees.^[32]

Death

Aiello died on December 12, 2019, at age 86, at a hospital in New Jersey, following a brief illness.^[18][33]

Many in the entertainment industry voiced their sadness either on Twitter or released statements, such as his Moonstruck co-star Cher, and Robert De Niro, who starred alongside Aiello in four films: Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), and Mistress (1992). De Niro wrote, "I am very saddened to hear of Danny's passing. I have known him for almost 50 years. See you in Heaven, Danny."^[34]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	Bang the Drum Slowly	Horse
1974	The Godfather Part II	Tony Rosato
1975	The Godmothers		Uncredited
1976	The Front	Danny LaGattuta
1977	Hooch	Tony
1978	Fingers	Butch
1978	Bloodbrothers	Artie Di Falco
1980	Defiance	Carmine
1980	Hide in Plain Sight	Sal Carvello
1981	Fort Apache, The Bronx	Morgan
1981	Chu Chu and the Philly Flash	Johnson
1983	Blood Feud	Randy Powers
1984	Old Enough	Mr. Bruckner
1984	Once Upon a Time in America	Police Chief Vincent Aiello
1984	Broadway Danny Rose		Uncredited
1985	The Purple Rose of Cairo	Monk
1985	The Stuff	Vickers
1985	The Protector	Danny Garoni
1985	Key Exchange	Carabello
1987	Radio Days	Rocco
1987	Man on Fire	Conti
1987	The Pick-up Artist	Phil Harper
1987	Moonstruck	Johnny Cammareri
1988	The Third Solution	George Sherman
1989	The January Man	Captain Vincent Alcoa
1989	White Hot	Charlie Buick
1989	Do the Right Thing	Salvatore "Sal" Fragione
1989	Shocktroop	John Cunningham
1989	Harlem Nights	Phil Cantone
1990	Jacob's Ladder	Louis
1990	The Closer	Chester Grant
1990	He Ain't Heavy		Short
1991	Once Around	Joe Bella
1991	Hudson Hawk	Tommy "Five-Tone" Messina
1991	29th Street	Frank Pesce Sr.
1992	Deathmask	Capt. Mike Grasso
1992	Ruby	Jack Ruby
1992	Mistress	Carmine Rasso
1993	The Cemetery Club	Ben Katz
1993	The Pickle	Harry Stone
1993	Me and the Kid	Harry
1994	Léon: The Professional	Tony
1994	Prêt-à-Porter	Major Hamilton
1994	Save the Rabbits	Ronnie
1995	Power of Attorney	Joseph Scassi
1995	Lieberman in Love	Joe Lieberman	Short
1995	Two Much	Gene
1996	City Hall	Frank Anselmo
1996	2 Days in the Valley	Dosmo Pizzo
1996	Mojave Moon	Al
1997	Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis	Mr. Rathbone
1997	A Brooklyn State of Mind	Danny Parente
1998	Wilbur Falls	Phillip Devereaux
1999	18 Shades of Dust	Vincent Dianni
2000	Mambo Café	Joey
2000	Dinner Rush	Louis Cropa
2000	Prince of Central Park	Noah Cairn
2001	Off Key	Fabrizio Bernini
2003	Mail Order Bride	Tony Santini
2004	Zeyda and the Hitman	Nathan
2005	The Fool	Voice of the Dummy	Short
2005	Brooklyn Lobster	Frank Giorgio
2006	Lucky Number Slevin	Roth
2006	Last Request	Pop
2006	A Broken Sole	The Shoemaker
2010	Stiffs	Frank Tramontana
2013	Dolly Baby	Tony Lanza
2014	Henry & Me	Dr. Acosta	Voice
2014	Reach Me	Father Paul
2017	The Neighborhood	Joseph Donatello
2018	Little Italy	Carlo
2019	The Last Big Save	Louis Brown
2019	Making a Deal With The Devil	Mario
2021	One Moment	Joe McGuinness	Posthumous release; Final film role
TBA	Hereafter Musical	Jason	Short

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Kojak	Mattie	Episode: "Black Thorn"
1977	The Andros Targets	Lt. Phil Lombardi	3 episodes
1978	On Our Own	Skip Mazarelli	2 episodes
1978	The Last Tenant	Carl	TV film
1978	Lovey: A Circle Of Children, Part II	Bernie Serino	TV film
1980	A Family of Strangers	Dominic Ginetti	ABC Afterschool Special
1982	Gemini	Fran	TV film
1982	Nurse	Gene Halley	Episode: "Gene Halley"
1982	The Unforgivable Secret	Frank Caruso	ABC Afterschool Special
1982	A Question of Honor	Martelli	TV film
1983	3-2-1 Contact	Florist	Episode: "Babies: Growth and Development"
1984	Tales from the Darkside	Tommy Vale	Episode: "The Odds"
1985	The Lucie Arnaz Show	Vic Rosetti	Episode: "Good Sports"
1985–1986	Lady Blue	Lt. Terry McNichols	14 episodes
1987	Saturday Night Live	Master of Ceremonies	Episode: "Charlton Heston/Wynton Marsalis"
1987	Daddy	Coach Jacobs	TV film
1987	Night Heat	Frankie D.	Episode: "Comeback"
1988	Alone In The Neon Jungle	Chief	TV film
1989	The Preppie Murder	Det. Mike Sheehan	TV film
1990	Madonna: The Immaculate Collection	Papa	Segment: "Papa Don't Preach"
1992	The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980	Tony Rosato	TV reruns
1995	Brothers' Destiny (aka The Road Home)	Duke	TV film
1996	Unforgotten: Twenty-Five Years After Willowbrook	Narrator	Documentary
1996	Saturday Night Live	Himself (host)	Episode: "Danny Aiello/Coolio"
1997	The Last Don	Don Domenico Clericuzio	TV mini-series
1997–1998	Dellaventura	Anthony Dellaventura	14 episodes
1998	The Last Don II	Don Domenico Clericuzio	TV mini-series
2009	Harry: A Communication Breakdown	Narrator	Documentary
2017	Broken Dreams Blvd	Teddy Berry	TV film
2017	Difficult People	Danny Aiello (voice)	Episode: "Passover Bump"

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Venue
1944	Follow the Girls	Dancing Boy	New Century Theatre, Broadway
1975	Lamppost Reunion	Biggie	Little Theatre, Broadway
1976	Wheelbarrow Closers	Chester Grant	Bijou Theatre, Broadway
1977	Gemini	Fran Geminiani	Little Theatre, Broadway
1979	Knockout	Damie Ruffino	Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
1981	The Floating Light Bulb	Max Pollack	Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway
1985	Hurlyburly	Phil (replacement)	Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway
1986	The House of Blue Leaves	Billy Einhorn	Plymouth Theatre, Broadway
2002	Adult Entertainment	Guy Aikens	Variety Arts Theatre, Off Broadway
2011	The Shoemaker	Performer	Acorn Theatre, Off-Broadway
2017	Home for the Holidays	Performer	August Wilson Theatre, Broadway

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result	Ref.
1981	Daytime Emmy Award	Performer in a Children's Program	ABC Afterschool Special: A Family of Strangers	Won
1989	Academy Award	Best Supporting Actor	Do the Right Thing	Nominated	[18]
	Golden Globe Award	Best Supporting Actor - Film			[14]
	Boston Society of Film Critics	Best Supporting Actor		Won	[18]
	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor			[14]
	Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor			[18]
1991	Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor	Once Around	Nominated
1994	National Board of Review	Best Ensemble	Prêt-à-Porter	Won

Publications

• Aiello, Danny (2014). I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781476751924.

See also

• List of crooners
• Bronx Walk of Fame

References

1. "Danny Aiello, 'Do the Right Thing' and 'Moonstruck' Actor, Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021.
2. Danny AIELLO profile Archived February 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.
3. Frances Pietrocova myheritage.it ^{[user-generated source]}
4. Michael Norman (January 21, 1990). "His Bus Came In". The New York Times.
5. Danny Aiello Biography, Yahoo; accessed June 21, 2017, Archived from the original on May 22, 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
6. Lip, Tony; Prigge, Steven (October 3, 2006). Shut Up and Eat!: Mangia with Family Recipes and Stories from Your Favorite Italian-American Stars. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 9780425211779 – via Google Books.
7. Succeeding: Overcoming the Odds. Prestwick House. 2005. pp. 61–62. ISBN 9781580493093. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
8. Carrick, Jim (June 17, 2015). "Million served in WWII". The Spectrum. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
9. "Greyhound Walkout Spreading". Press and Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, N.Y. Associated Press. June 21, 1967. p. 49. Retrieved December 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Greyhound Drivers End 1-Day Strike". Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News, Wilkes-Barre Record. Associated Press. June 23, 1967. p. 14. Retrieved December 14, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Bailey-Millado, Rob (December 13, 2019). "How Danny Aiello went from 'part-time thief' to 'Do the Right Thing'". New York Post. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
12. Aiello, Danny (2014). I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies. Simon and Schuster. pp. 175, 228. ISBN 9781476751924. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
13. Middleton, Faith (November 10, 2014). "Actor Danny Aiello, The Godfather, and Madonna". wnpr.org. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
14. Carcaterra, Lorenzo (February 19, 1990). "Danny Aiello". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
15. "Danny Aiello". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
16. Reesman, Bryan (June 30, 2017). "Analog Gems: Jamie Rose Talks 'Lady Blue' on ABC". New York Observer. Archived from the original on December 26, 2017.
17. Emerson, Jim (July 7, 1989). "Danny Aiello Is 'The Jackie Robinson of Spike Lee Movies'". Chicago Tribune.
18. Gates, Anita (December 13, 2019). "Danny Aiello, Actor in 'Do the Right Thing,' Dies at 86". The New York Times.
19. Ebert, Roger (December 25, 1994). "Ready To Wear (Prêt-à-Porter) movie review (1994) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com.
20. Hamill, Denis (October 30, 2005). "LOVE & LOBSTERS. A family drama tells the true story of a Sheepshead Bay seafood firm under threat". NY Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
21. Bridges (Media notes). Danny Aiello. CD Baby. September 27, 2011. ASIN B005SI4MSA.
22. Liz Smith, "Papa Gets Second Chance In New Video", Sarasota Herald-Tribune (October 22, 1986), 5E.
23. "Danny Aiello – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
24. Rich, Frank (April 28, 1981). "Stage: 'Light Bulb,' by Woody Allen". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
25. "The House of Blue Leaves - 1986 Broadway Tickets, News, Info, Photos, Videos". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
26. Brantley, Ben (December 12, 2002). "THEATER REVIEW; Is She a Serious Actress? XXXtremely". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
27. Lee, Felicia R. (July 23, 2011). "A Word With: Danny Aiello. Emotional Guy, Speaking for Others". The New York Times.
28. 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."
29. Andrea Adams, Saddle River, The Star-Ledger, 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."
30. ""DANNY AIELLO" Book Results on Simon & Schuster". www.simonandschuster.com.
31. "Passings: Danny Aiello III". Los Angeles Times. May 4, 2010.
32. Abrahams, Matthew (February 13, 2011). "Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay marries news anchor Jodi Applegate". nypost.com.
33. "Danny Aiello, 'Do the Right Thing' and 'Moonstruck' Actor, Dies at 86". Variety. December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
34. Fernandez, Alexia (December 13, 2019). "Robert De Niro Mourns Death of Former Costar Danny Aiello: 'See You in Heaven'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved February 2, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Danny Aiello at IMDb
• Danny Aiello at the Internet Broadway Database