Who was Danny Aiello? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Daniel Louis Aiello Jr.

Died At Age: 86

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Sandy Cohen (m. 1955)

father: Frances (née Pietrocova)

mother: Daniel Louis Aiello. Sr

children: Danny, Jaime, Rick, Stacey

Actors American Men

Height: 6'3" (190 cm), 6'3" Males

Died on: December 12, 2019

place of death: New Jersey, United States

Ancestry: Italian American

Notable Alumni: James Monroe High School (Rochester, New York)

Cause of Death: Illness

U.S. State: New Yorkers

More Facts

education: James Monroe High School (Rochester, New York)

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Career in Films & Television

Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. began starring in movies in the early 1970s. He appeared in the 1974 flick ‘The Godfather Part II’. In 1980, he had a co-lead role in the movie ‘Defiance’. The following year, he appeared as a racist New York City cop in the film ‘Fort Apache, The Bronx’. The actor was then cast as a police chief in the flick ‘Once Upon a Time in America’.

Between 1985 and 1987, he did a number of big screen projects including ‘The Purple Rose of Cairo’, ‘Radio Days’ and ‘Moonstruck’. After this, he had a significant role in the film ‘Do the Right Thing’. In 1990, he had a sympathetic role in the horror movie ‘Jacob's Ladder’. Four years later, he made a comic appearance in drag for the fashion industry flick ‘Prêt-à-Porter’. The actor also played Don Domenico Clericuzio in the miniseries ‘The Last Don’.

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Music Career

As a singer, Danny Aiello has contributed to the soundtracks of the movies ‘Hudson Hawk,’ ‘Remedy’ and ‘Once Around.’ He has also released numerous albums including ‘I Just Wanted to Hear the Words,’ ‘My Christmas Song for You’ and ‘Live from Atlantic City.’ In 1986, he also played the title character in Madonna's video song titled ‘Papa Don't Preach’.

Theater Career

In addition to his film, television, and music career, Danny Aiello has contributed to the theater in plays like ‘Gemini’, ‘The House of Blue Leaves’, ‘Hurlyburly’ and ‘The Floating Light Bulb’. He has also acted in the 1976 Broadway production of ‘Wheelbarrow Closers’. In 2011, he starred as a shoemaker in the play ‘The Shoemaker’, directed by Antony Marsellis.

Personal Life

Danny Aiello was born on June 20, 1933 in Manhattan, New York, USA, to parents Daniel Louis Aiello, Sr. and Frances. He had five siblings. He studied at James Monroe High School.

The actor married Sandy Cohen in 1955. The couple had four children: Jamie, Rick, Stacey, and stuntman/actor Danny Aiello III who died in 2010 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.

In 2014, Danny Aiello published his autobiography titled ‘I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else: My Life on the Street, On the Stage, and in the Movies’.

Danny Aiello Biography