Gianni Russo

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Gianni Russo
Gianni Russo.jpg
Russo at the 2013 Life Film Fest
Born
Gianni Vito Russo

Manhattan, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor, singer
Years active1972–present
Websitehttps://www.giannirusso.com/

Gianni Vito Russo is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Carlo Rizzi in the 1972 film The Godfather.[1]

Life and career[]

Russo was born in Manhattan and raised in Little Italy and Staten Island. After reprising the Rizzi character in a brief flashback scene at the end of The Godfather Part II, Russo acted in more than 46 films, including Goodnight, My Love (1972), Lepke (1975, as Albert Anastasia), Laserblast (1978), Chances Are (1989), The Freshman (1990), Side Out (1990), Another You (1991), Super Mario Bros. (1993), Any Given Sunday (1999) and Seabiscuit (2003).

Russo claims that he started a fledgling career in organized crime working as an errand boy and mob associate for Frank Costello[1] as an adolescent but later abandoned the dangerous and volatile lifestyle of organized crime.

Since the beginning of his acting career, Russo owned a Las Vegas restaurant called Gianni Russo's State Street at 2570 State Street on the Las Vegas Strip (closed in 1988), and defeated 23 federal criminal indictments on a variety of charges stemming from alleged organized crime associations.[1]

In 1988, Russo killed a man inside the Las Vegas nightclub. When he tried to intervene to stop a man from harassing a female patron, the man stabbed him with a broken champagne bottle. Russo, a legal carry owner, pulled his gun and shot him in the head. The man was a 30-year-old Cuban national. Russo was not charged with the killing because it was ruled a justifiable homicide by the Nevada District Attorney's Office.[2]

Russo is also a singer. In 2004, he released a CD called Reflections that pays homage to Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Russo owns a wine brand, Gianni Russo Wines, which debuted in 2009.[3]

In 2019, he published his memoir, Hollywood Godfather: My Life in the Movies and the Mob.[4]

Filmography[]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1972 The Godfather Carlo Rizzi
1974 The Godfather Part II
1975 Rudeness Salvatore Mannino
1975 Lepke Albert Anastasia
1975 The Four Deuces Chip Morono - the 'Deuce of Clubs'
1978 Laserblast Tony Craig
1979 Winter Kills Co-Pilot
1989 Chances Are Anthony Bonino
1990 Side Out Dick Sydney
1990 The Freshman Maitre D' Gourmet Club
1991 Out for Justice Sammy
1991 Another You Carlos
1992 Stay Tuned Guido
1993 Super Mario Bros. Scapelli
1996 Striptease Willy Rojo
1998 Circles Howard Thomas as Jeremy's father
1999 Any Given Sunday Christina's Advisor
2000 The Family Man Nick
2000 Rope Art Sen. Bob Krause
2001 3000 Miles to Graceland Money Cart Guard
2001 Harvard Man Andrew Bandolini
2001 Rush Hour 2 Red Dragon Pit Boss
2002 Red Dragon Newsie
2003 Seabiscuit Alberto Gianini
2004 After the Sunset Clippers Fan
2005 Meet the Mobsters Paul
2013 Send No Flowers Johnny Pisano

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Jacobs, Andrew (April 9, 2005). "His Big Break? The Corleones Killed Him; Godfather's Son-in-Law Is Singing, Selling and Enjoying Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2008.
  2. ^ "Restaurateur cleared in shooting death". Reno Gazette-Journal . Reno, Nevada. November 2, 1988. p. 2C. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  3. ^ "Celebrity Spotlight: The Intriguing Life of Gianni Russo Beyond The Godfather • Italia Living". July 28, 2010.
  4. ^ Kenyon, Sandy (March 27, 2019). "Star of 'The Godfather' pens autobiography 'Hollywood Godfather'". WABC-TV. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.

External links[]

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