Veteran actor Danny Aiello, star of ‘Moonstruck’ and 'Do the Right Thing,’ dies in N.J. medical center
Blue-collar character actor Danny Aiello, a New Jersey resident who made his mark in numerous hit movies such as “Moonstruck” and “Do the Right Thing," has died at the age of 86, his publicist confirmed Friday morning.
Aiello, an Oscar nominee, was born and raised in New York City and moved to Ramsey in Bergen County in the 1980s with his wife Sandy. The couple lived in the affluent suburb of Saddle River since 1998.
The actor died Thursday night in a New Jersey medical facility, TMZ reported, citing family members who said he was undergoing treatment for a sudden illness and “suffered an infection related to his treatment.”
Aiello started his acting career in the early 1970s, when he landed a supporting role in the baseball drama, “Bang the Drum Slowly.” The actor gained prominence when he appeared in “The Godfather: Part II” and in Spike Lee’s famous comedy-drama “Do the Right Thing” in 1989, which earned him an Oscar nomination for his role as a pizza worker.
In the Godfather sequel, Aiello played the role of Tony Rosato and uttered the memorable line, “Michael Corleone says hello!” before putting a chokehold on a rival mob associate.
Aiello, whose full name was Daniel Louis Aiello Jr., was born on June 20, 1933 in New York City, according to imdb.com. The database cites 106 credits as an actor, mostly in movie roles but also in some television roles, and six credits as a producer of TV shows and documentaries, including the series “Celebrity Taste Makers” in 2012.
His most recent stint was working as an executive producer of the 2017 TV movie, “Broken Dreams Blvd."
Recognizable, if not famous, for his burly build and husky voice, Aiello was an ex-union president who broke into acting in his 30s and remained a dependable player for decades, whether vicious or cuddly or a little of both.
His breakthrough, ironically, was as the hapless lover dumped by Cher in Norman Jewison's hit comedy "Moonstruck." His disillusion contributed to the laughter, and although he wasn't nominated for a supporting-role Oscar (Cher and Olympia Dukakis won in their categories), Aiello was inundated with movie offers.
“Living in New York City gave me training for any role,” he said in a 1997 interview. “I’ve seen people killed, knifed. I’ve got scars on my face. I have emotional recall when I work; the idea is simply to recreate it. I’ve seen it and experienced it. I’ve played gangsters, teachers, but most of my work has been in the police area. And for that I’m adored by the police in New York City.”
In a tweet posted on Friday, Cher mourned the man she called “a genius comedic actor” and described her work with Aiello in “Moonstruck” as ”one of the happiest times in my life."
Actor Michael Rapaport tweeted that Aiello was a “huge inspiration” and “such a nice guy.”
Aiello and his wife were married for 65 years.
The actor is also survived by three children — Rick, Jamie and Stacy — and 10 grandchildren. A fourth son, stuntman and stunt coordinator Danny Aiello III, died in May 2010 of pancreatic cancer.
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