American actor
Father of Danny Aiello III , Rick Aiello , Jamie Aiello, and Stacy Aiello.
Uncle of New York Yankees sportscaster (radio/play by play) Michael Kay.
He says that the one thing that annoys him more than anything is if a man is rubbing a girls back (or vice versa) on a movie set, or even if people of the same sex are rubbing each others backs.
Is Italian-American.
He was nominated for a 1976 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role for his performance in "That Championship Season", at the Arlington Park Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Played Police Chief Vincent Aiello in Once Upon a Time in America .
His son, actor/stuntman/stunt coordinator Danny Aiello III died of pancreatic cancer in 2010 at age 53.
The 70-year-old Aiello released his first single, "All of Me," in March of 2004, and followed it a month later with an album of standards. Continues to sing on tour with an eight-piece jazz band.
Among his various charitable interests include Covenant House (a mobile unit that provides food, shelter health care, counseling, education and job training to homeless teens,) the United Way, the Salvation Army, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and the Frances Aiello Day Treatment Center in Brooklyn (named after his late mother) that treats young blind and deaf adults and children.
A former bouncer at New Yorks comedy club, The Improvisation, he broke into the business when he started filling in there as an emcee.
Once was a bus driver and the president of the Greyhound Bus union in his 30s before he pursued acting.
Served a three-year stint in the Army, and was at one time stationed in Germany.
Sold newspapers and shined shoes at Grand Central Station in his youth.
A lifelong resident of New York City, Danny and his six siblings were raised almost single-handedly by their mother.
Was in Madonna s "Papa Dont Preach" music video, playing her father.
(June 2004) June 2004 will appear on "Dinner for Five" with host Jon Favreau and guests include John Waters , Delroy Lindo.
(February 2004) He will be releasing his first album of standards titled "I Just Wanted To Hear The Words" under the IN2N lable in late March or early April 2004.
(March 2004) March starts filming Brooklyn Lobster in New York.
(August 2003) She completed work on film to be released in 2004 - Zeyda and the Hit Man (working title), directed by Melanie Mayron , and starring himself & Judd Hirsch.
Appeared in both of the films for which Vincent Gardenia was Oscar-nominated: Bang the Drum Slowly and Moonstruck .
The first time I put on a dress and a wig and they took a Polaroid of,me, I wanted to throw up. Except I saw a little bit of beauty in that I,looked like my mother.
