Joseph R. Gannascoli
| Joseph R. Gannascoli | |
|---|---|
Gannascoli filming the White Collar episode
"On the Fence" in Manhattan's West Village, June 7, 2011. |
|
| Born | February 15, 1959 Brooklyn, New York |
| Other names | Joe Gannascoli |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse(s) | Diana Gannascoli (m. 2005-present) |
| Children | 1 |
Joseph R. Gannascoli (born February 15, 1959) is an American actor and celebrity spokesman most notable for his portrayal of Vito Spatafore on the HBO series, The Sopranos.
Contents
Early life
Joseph R. Gannascoli was born and raised in Brooklyn.[1]
In the 1980s he attended St. John's University for two years, majoring in communications.[1]
Career
Gannascoli's interests then turned to cooking. He learned culinary art and opened a restaurant, Soup As Art Restaurant in Brooklyn. He has worked in New Orleans, Los Angeles and New York, though he dabbled in acting.[1]
Gannascoli received his "big break" in acting from Benicio del Toro, whom he met on the set on Money for Nothing. After appearing in Ed Wood, Del Toro later cast Gannascoli in his directorial debut, Submission. He also introduced him to Sheila Jaffe and Georgianne Walken, who did casting work for the HBO TV series The Sopranos.
Gannascoli appeared in films including Mickey Blue Eyes and television shows including Law and Order before appearing on The Sopranos as a pastry shop patron named "Gino" in the season one episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti". He later secured a recurring role as the nephew of Richie Aprile, Vito Spatafore, in the season two episode "The Happy Wanderer". Along with Dan Grimaldi playing identical twins Patsy and Phillip "Philly Spoons" Parisi and Saundra Santiago playing identical twins Jeannie and Joannie Cusamano, it was one of the three times that the show used a single actor for separate roles. Prior to the start of Season 6, Gannascoli was promoted to series regular. He brought the idea of making his character gay from the true story of a mafia crew in Brooklyn, in a book he was reading to the writers. It was the only suggestion David Chase ever used.[citation needed]
Gannascoli later appeared in other films including Men in Black III. He stars in the 2015 movie An Act of War.
Other ventures
In January 2006 Gannascoli published a crime novel called A Meal to Die For: A Culinary Novel of Crime.[2]
Gannascoli markets a line of pasta sauces and other foods called "Sauce Boss", and a line of cigars called Cugine.[1]
He has created Bottle Skinz that are Licensed by the NFL NHL Military and Realtree camouflage
Personal life
Gannascoli is married to Diana Gannascoli, with whom he has a daughter, Viviana, born in 2009.[citation needed]
Legal troubles
In the early morning hours of Friday, June 18, 2010, Gannascoli was arrested on a DUI charge in Tampa, Florida. He registered a blood-alcohol level of .111 according The St. Petersburg Times. He posted a $500 bond and was released later that day.[3]
Filmography
| Years | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Money for Nothing | Charlie DiSalvo |
| 1996 | The Funeral | Rocco (uncredited) |
| 1999 | Mickey Blue Eyes | Jimmy, Gina's Doorman |
| The Sopranos | Bakery Customer/"Gino" | |
| 2005 | Meet the Mobsters[4] | Abner Hunnicutt |
| 2006 | Beer League | Giusuppe Primavera (uncredited) |
| 2000-2006 | The Sopranos | Vito Spatafore |
| 2011 | White Collar | Salvatore |
| 2012 | Men in Black 3 | New York Mets Fan #2 |
| 2014 | Rob the Mob | Dom |
| 2015 | An Act of War | Frank |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Soprano’s Cast Member in Town to Promote Cigar Line and Chat About Film and Food", Chicago Press Release Services, May 11, 2010
- ↑ A Meal to Die For: A Culinary Novel of Crime, Amazon.com, accessed June 7, 2011.
- ↑ Martinez, Edecio. "'Sopranos' Actor Joseph Gannascoli Arrested on DUI Charge", CBS News, June 18, 2010
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389053/
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joseph Gannascoli. |
- Joseph R. Gannascoli at the Internet Movie Database
- Joe Gannascoli In-Depth Profile at AventuraUSA.com
- Joe Gannascoli Interview on World Talk LIVE!
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- Articles with hCards
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- 1959 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Male actors from New York City
- People from Brooklyn
- American people of Italian descent
- Living people
- Participants in American reality television series
- Male actors of Italian descent
