Gianni Vito Russo (born December 12, 1943) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Carlo Rizzi in the 1972 film The Godfather.
Life and career Russo was born in Manhattan on December 12, 1943 and raised in Little Italy and Rosebank, Staten Island.Staten Island's Gianni Russo to pay homage to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin at Lorenzo's Cabaret Staten Island Advance (March 1, 2012) After reprising Carlo Rizzi 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 as an adolescent but later abandoned the dangerous and volatile lifestyle of organized crime. The Staten Island Mafioso Tommy Bilotti was best man at Russo's wedding.Gianni Russo had to battle Marlon Brando after snagging Carlo Rizzi role in “The Godfather” Tom Wrobleski, Staten Island Advance (October 3, 2022)
Since the beginning of his acting career, Russo owned a Las Vegas restaurant called Gianni Russo's State Street at 2570 State Street in the Commercial Center (closed in 1988), and claims he defeated 23 federal criminal indictments on a variety of charges stemming from alleged organized crime associations.
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.
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.
In 2019, he published his memoir, Hollywood Godfather: My Life in the Movies and the Mob.
Filmography
Film and television Year Title Role Notes 1972 The Godfather Carlo Rizzi Goodnight, My Love Michael Tarlow TV movie 1973 The Bait Gianni Ruggeri TV movie 1974 The Godfather Part II Carlo Rizzi 1975 Rudeness Salvatore Mannino Lepke Albert Anastasia The Four Deuces Chip Morono - the 'Deuce of Clubs' 1978 Laserblast Tony Craig 1979 Winter Kills Co-Pilot 1986 The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Card Player TV movie 1989 Chances Are Anthony Bonino 1990 Side Out Dick Sydney The Freshman Maitre D' Gourmet Club 1991 Out for Justice Sammy The Great Pretender Davey DeSapio TV movie Silverfox Klaus Gerhardt TV movie Another You Carlos Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion Marco Sabatini TV movie 1992 Stay Tuned Guido 1993 Super Mario Bros. Anthony Scapelli 1995 P.C.H. Jake Mondello Video 1996 Striptease Willy Rojo 1997 Circles Howard Thomas 1999 Any Given Sunday Christina's Advisor 2000 The Family Man Nick Rope Art Sen. Bob Krause 2001 3000 Miles to Graceland Money Cart Guard Harvard Man Andrew Bandolini Rush Hour 2 Red Dragon Pit Boss 2002 Red Dragon Newsie 2003 Seabiscuit Alberto Gianini All In Falcone Korean television miniseries"Korean Producer Story TV Signs Hollywood Screenwriter Paul Eckstein to Write a True-Life Gangster Movie Based on a Jamaican Legend" 2004 After the Sunset Clippers Fan 2005 Johnny Slade's Greatest Hits Paul 2013 Send No Flowers Johnny Pisano 2018 Con Man Derek Lewis
References
External links