Michael Vincenzo Gazzo (April 5, 1923 – February 14, 1995) was an American playwright who later in life became a film and television actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in ''

The Godfather Part II ''The Godfather Part II'' is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is partially based on the 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. ''Part II'' s ...

'' (1974).

Biography

Gazzo was born on April 5, 1923. He was of Italian-American descent. Gazzo served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

.10 ICONIC MOVIE AND TV ROLES PLAYED BY WWII VETERANS
www.sandboxx.us. Retrieved December 5, 2021.Michael V. Gazzo at

Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econo ...

. Retrieved December 5, 2021.Michael V. Gazzo at

Fold3 Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018 ...

. Retrieved December 5, 2021. He was a member of the Actors Studio and later trained actors such as

Debra Winger Debra Lynn Wingerhttps://www.pressreader.com/usa/closer-weekly/20200511/282084868951188https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/closer-weekly-may-11-2020-digital/in-this-issue/99961 (born May 16, 1955)https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Inter ...

Henry Silva Henry Silva (September 23, 1926 – September 14, 2022) was an American actor. A prolific character actor, Silva was a regular staple of international genre cinema, usually playing criminals or gangsters. His notable film appearances include ...

and

Tony Sirico Gennaro Anthony Sirico Jr. (; July 29, 1942 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri in ''The Sopranos''. He also made numerous appearances in the films of Woody Allen. Early life S ...

. He wrote ''A Hatful of Rain'', a Broadway play about drug addiction, which ran for 389 performances in 1955 and 1956. It starred

Ben Gazzara Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominatio ...

and

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...

in the two lead roles, and was adapted into a film by Oscar-winning director

Fred Zinnemann Alfred ''Fred'' Zinnemann (April 29, 1907 – March 14, 1997) was an Austrian Empire-born American film director. He won four Academy Awards for directing and producing films in various genres, including thrillers, westerns, film noir and pla ...

in 1957. The movie was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Actor in a Leading Role (

Anthony Franciosa Anthony George Franciosa (né Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor most often billed as Tony Franciosa at the height of his career. He began his career on stage and made a breakthrough portraying the brother of t ...

). A 1968 made-for-television version (as a filmed play) starred Peter Falk,

Sandy Dennis Sandra Dale Dennis (April 27, 1937 – March 2, 1992) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the drama ''Splendor in the Grass'' (1961). For her performance in the comedy-drama film ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1966), she rec ...

and

Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor. He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series '' Then Came Bronson'', but ...

. Gazzo's other screen writing credits include the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

American musical drama ''

King Creole ''King Creole'' is a 1958 American musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel '' A Stone for Danny Fisher'' by Harold Robbins. Produced by Hal B. Wallis, the film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, ...

'' in 1958. Gazzo authored the Broadway play ''The Night Circus'', also starring

. Gazzo was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as

Frank Pentangeli Frank Pentangeli is a fictional character from the 1974 film ''The Godfather Part II'', portrayed by Michael V. Gazzo. Gazzo was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance, which he lost to Robert De Niro, his co-star from ...

in ''

''.

Death

Gazzo died on February 14, 1995, at age 71 due to complications from a stroke. He was buried in the

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Filmography

* '' On the Waterfront'' (1954) - Bit (uncredited) * '' A Man Called Adam'' (1966) - (uncredited) * '' Out of It'' (1969) - Vinnie's friend * ''

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' is a 1971 American crime comedy film directed by James Goldstone and written by Waldo Salt, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Jimmy Breslin, which in turn was based on the life of gangster Joe ...

'' (1971) - A Black Suit * '' Crazy Joe'' (1974) * ''

'' (1974) -

* ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, ...

'' (1975) - Joel Adrian * '' Brinks: The Great Robbery'' (1976) - Mario Russo * ''

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

'' (Episode "The Adventure of Caesar's Last Sleep") (1976) - Benny Franks * ''

Welcome Back, Kotter ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the seri ...

'' (Season 2, Episode 12 "Hark, the Sweatkings") (1976) - Angelo DeMora * '' Alice'' (1977) - Gino Tarantella * '' Starsky and Hutch'' (1977) - Joe Durniak * ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'' (1977) - Mr. Farinelli * ''

Baretta ''Baretta'' is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a revised and milder version of a 1973–1974 ABC series, '' Toma'', starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey pol ...

'' (1977) - Rico Giove * '' Black Sunday'' (1977) - Muzi * ''

The Feather and Father Gang ''The Feather and Father Gang'' is a 1976–1977 American crime-drama television series starring Stefanie Powers and Harold Gould, which centers on an attorney who enlists her con-man father and his team of bunco artists to help her solve crime ...

'' (Season 1, Episode 12 "The Mayan Connection") (1977) - Gutman * '' Columbo'' episode '' Murder Under Glass'' (1978) - Vittorio Rossi * ''

Fingers A finger is a limb of the body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of most of the Tetrapods, so also with humans and other primates. Most land vertebrates have five fingers (Pentadactyly). Chambers 1 ...

'' (1978) - Ben * ''

King of the Gypsies The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the p ...

'' (1978) - Spiro Giorgio * '' Love and Bullets'' (1979) - Lobo * ''

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh ''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' is a 1979 American sports/fantasy comedy film directed by Gilbert Moses and coproduced by David Dashev and Gary Stromberg. It was produced by Lorimar and distributed by United Artists. The film was shot on loc ...

'' (1979) - Harry the Trainer * '' Beggarman, Thief'' (1979) - Sartene * ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'' (Season 3, Episode 14 "The Lookalikes/Winemaker") (1979) - Frank Lassiter * ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

'' (1979) - Vince * '' Cuba Crossing'' (1980) - Rossellini * ''

Alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

'' (1980) - Chief Clark * ''

Border Cop ''Border Cop'' is a 1979 crime action film directed by Christopher Leitch and starring Telly Savalas. Savalas plays a United States Border Patrol agent who has a close run-in with a dangerous organized crime boss. The film is distributed by Trom ...

'' (1980) - Chico Suarez * ''Hoodlums'' (1980) - Gus Azziello * '' Sizzle'' (1980) * ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' episode "The Ugliest Dog in Hawaii" (1981) - Victor DiGorgio * '' Back Roads'' (1981) - Tazio * '' Body and Soul'' (1981) - Frankie * ''

The Winter of Our Discontent ''The Winter of Our Discontent'' is John Steinbeck's last novel, published in 1961. The title comes from the first two lines of William Shakespeare's ''Richard III: "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun r son ...

'' (1983) - Marullo * '' Sudden Impact'' (1983) - Threlkis (uncredited) * ''

Cannonball Run II ''Cannonball Run II'' is a 1984 action comedy film starring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest. Like the original '' Cannonball Run'', it is set around an illegal cross-country race. This was the l ...

'' (1984) - Sonny * ''

Fear City ''Fear City'' is a 1984 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Tom Berenger, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Scalia, and Melanie Griffith. The screenplay was written by longtime Ferrara collaborator Nicholas St. J ...

'' (1984) - Mike * '' Cookie'' (1989) - Carmine * ''Beyond the Ocean'' (1990) * ''Forever'' (1991) * ' (1992) * ''

Last Action Hero ''Last Action Hero'' is a 1993 American fantasy action comedy film directed and produced by John McTiernan and co-written by Shane Black and David Arnott. It is a satire of the action genre and associated clichés, containing several parodies ...

'' (1993) - Torelli * ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'' (1994) (episode "McKenzie, Brackman, Barnum & Bailey") (1994) - Roscoe Zambini * ''Nothing to Lose'' (1994) - Joe (final film role)

References

Sources

* Bacarella, Michael, ''ItalActors: 101 Years of Italian Actors in U.S. Entertainment'', The National Italian American Foundation

External links

* * *
Michael Gazzo
at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

'
Actors Studio audio collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gazo, Michael 1923 births 1995 deaths People from Hillside, New Jersey American male screenwriters American male film actors American male television actors American writers of Italian descent Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers Screenwriters from New Jersey 20th-century American screenwriters