Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello
Aiello in New York City, December 2011
Born	Daniel Louis Aiello, Jr. (1933-06-20) June 20, 1933 (age 83) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Sandy Cohen (1955–present)
Children	Danny, Rick, Jaime, Stacey
Relatives	Michael Kay (Nephew)
Website	Official website

Daniel Louis "Danny" Aiello, Jr. (/aɪˈɛloʊ/; born June 20, 1933) is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including The Godfather: Part II (1974), The Front (1976), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Moonstruck (1987), Hudson Hawk (1991), Ruby (1992), Léon: The Professional (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Dinner Rush (2000) and Lucky Number Slevin (2006). He had a pivotal role in the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing (1989) as Salvatore "Sal" Frangione, earning 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 (1997).

Aiello, the fifth of six children, was born on West 68th Street, Manhattan, the son of Italian American parents Frances (née Pietrocova), a seamstress, 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 seven, 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.