Federico Castelluccio

Federico Castelluccio (; ; born April 29, 1964) is an Italian-born American actor. He is best known for his role as Furio Giunta on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''.

Early life

Born in Naples, Italy, Castelluccio moved with his family to Paterson, New Jersey in New York City, where he earned a BFA in painting and media arts. Prior to winning the scholarship, he received an opportunity to create a painting for actor George Burns.

Career

Castelluccio began his career as an actor in 1986. Some of his film credits include '' Made'' with Jon Favreau, ''Fire'' with Paul Campbell and ''18 Shades of Dust'' with Danny Aiello. In television, his credits include ''NYPD Blue'' and his best known role, in the HBO hit series ''The Sopranos'', as the Neapolitan enforcer Furio Giunta.

He also appeared in '' A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints'' which debuted in 2006 at the Sundance Film Festival and received two awards, one for best dramatic directing and another for best dramatic ensemble, headed by Robert Downey Jr., Chazz Palminteri, and Rosario Dawson.

Other film projects include the biographical '' El Cantante''; ''Aftermath'', a crime thriller; and ''The Obscure Brother'', filmed in southern Italy, a short film that he executive produced and acted in; 2003's ''La Araña''; the 2008 comedy ''Capers''; '' Lucky Days''; and the 2009 ''Forget Me Not''. In television, Castelluccio played the lead role in ''Dragon Dynasty'', a telefilm that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. He also appeared in the episode of '' Kenny Vs. Spenny'' titled "Who Can Produce The Best Commercial".

In 2014, Castelluccio acted in Don Capria's short film ''Eulogy,'' acting alongside Michael Kaves. With the rest of the cast, they won Best Ensemble at the Queens World Film Festival.

In 2016, Castelluccio directed the feature film '' The Brooklyn Banker''. In 2017, Castelluccio directed the TV pilot ''Outcall''.

During the fourth season of '' Celebrity Apprentice'', Castelluccio was asked by Donald Trump to judge which celebrity designed the best hat. Castelluccio eventually chose La Toya Jackson. She was awarded $25,000 for her charity, the AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Painting discovery

Castelluccio discovered a 17th-century painting by Italian baroque painter Guercino at a Frankfurt gallery and subsequently purchased it at auction in 2014 after it had been incorrectly identified as an 18th-century painting. He purchased the painting for approximately $68,000. After restoration, insurance, shipping, and other expenses, his total costs came to $140,000. The work's actual value was subsequently placed at approximately $10 million.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Video

Accolades

* 2015 - Best Ensemble - shared with the rest of the cast of ''Eulogy'' - Queens World Film Festival

References

External links

*
Federico Castelluccio official site
(archived version, now links to a domain-parking list)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castelluccio, Federico
American male television actors
Male actors from New York City
Living people
Male actors from Paterson, New Jersey
School of Visual Arts alumni
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
1964 births
Italian emigrants to the United States
American art collectors
Male actors from Naples