From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chazz Palminteri (born May 15, 1952) is an Oscar-nominated American actor and writer.

Palminteri, a Sicilian/Italian American[2] was born Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri in the Bronx, New York. He has appeared in several popular feature films, including A Bronx Tale, Analyze This and The Usual Suspects. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for Bullets Over Broadway. A lot of Palminteri's work provides him the ability to alternate between dramatic and comedic roles.

As a playwright, Palminteri authored A Bronx Tale and Faithful, and as a screenwriter, he adapted both of these stage productions into motion pictures. A Bronx Tale, which Palminteri has claimed to be semi-autobiographical, is particularly relevant to his career. Because he had spent the majority of his acting career in small character roles, he sold the play's film rights to Robert De Niro, with the condition that Palminteri himself be allowed to play the role of Machiavellian mafia boss Sonny LoSpecchio. This was his first notable major role in cinema.

Palminteri starred in a made for TV movie Boss of Bosses (2001), in which he played the role of real life mobster Paul Castellano.

He made his directorial debut with the 2002 television film Women vs. Men. He also directed the 2004 film Noel.

Palminteri is also well known to playing a mob boss in several commercials for Vanilla Coke in 2002, opposite celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Missy Elliott. In contrast to several roles as Mafia boss, he portrayed anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone in the 1999 movie Excellent Cadavers.

He lives in Bedford, New York.^[1]

Palminteri is married to actress Gianna Ranaudo, with whom he has two children.

• Home Free All (1984), Truck Highjacker
• The Last Dragon (1985), Hood #2
• Hill Street Blues (1986),Sonny Cappelito -television
• Glory Years (1987), Drummond -television
• Matlock (1987), Army Officer -television
• Dallas (1989), Frank -television
• Valerie (1989), Leslie -television
• Peter Gunn (1989), Soldier -television
• Wiseguy (1989), Peter Alatorre -television
• Oscar (1991), Connie
• Innocent Blood (1992), Tony
• There Goes the Neighborhood (1992), Lyle Corrente
• A Bronx Tale (1993), Sonny LoSpecchio -also screenwriter
• Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Cheech
• The Usual Suspects (1995), Dave Kujan, US Customs
• The Perez Family (1995), Lt. John Pirelli
• The Last Word (1995), Ricky
• Jade (1995), Matt Gavin
• Diabolique (1996), Guy Baran
• Faithful (1996), Tony -also writer
• Dante and the Debutante (1996) -writer and producer
• Mulholland Falls (1996), Elleroy Coolidge
• Scar City (1998), Lieutenant Laine Devon
• Hurlyburly (1998), Phil
• A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Benny Zadir -uncredited
• Analyze This (1999), Primo Sidone
• Excellent Cadavers (1999), Giovanni Falcone
• Oz (1999) -HBO directed episode, "Unnatural Disasters"
• Dilbert (1999), Leonardo da Vinci -TV Episode (voice)
• Stuart Little (1999), Smokey, the Chief Alley-Cat -voice
• Down to Earth (2001), King
• Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001), Buster -Video (voice)
• Boss of Bosses (2001), Paul Castellano -television
• One Eyed King (2001), Eddie Dugan
• Poolhall Junkies (2002), Joe
• One Last Ride (2003), Tweat
• Just Like Mona (2003)
• Noel (2004), Arizona -also directed
• Hoodwinked (2005), Woolworth -voice
• Kojak (2005), Captain Frank McNeil -television
• Animal (2005), Kassada -video
• In the Mix (2005), Frank
• Running Scared (2006), Detective Rydell
• Push (2006), Vince
• Little Man (2006), Walken
• A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), Monty
• Body Armour (2006), Maxwell
• The Dukes (2006), George -also co-produced
• The Good Shepherd (2006)
• Safe (2007), Eddie -also produced

1. ^ [1] Costaregni, Susie, "The Dish" column, "Christmas concert to help children in Rwanda", The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, December 3, 2006, accessed December 23, 2006

• Chazz Palminteri | The Official Website
• [3]
• Chazz Palminteri at the Internet Movie Database