List of Italian Americans

A list of Italian Americans, identified by parentage: one or both parents are ethnically Italian.

• Joe Adonis (1902-1972), born Giuseppe Antonio Doto, mobster
• Danny Aiello (b.1933), born Daniel Louis Aiello Jr., actor
• Alan Alda (b.1936), born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo, actor, writer, director and sometime political activist.
• Robert Alda (1914-1986), born Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo, actor, father of Alan Alda.
• Joseph Alioto, Mayor of San Francisco .
• Lou Ambers (1913-1995), born Luigi d'Ambrosio, boxer.
• Don Ameche (1908-1993), born Dominic Felix Amici, actor.
• Albert Anastasia (1902-1957), mobster
• Mario Andretti (b. 1940), auto racing legend
• Angelo Badalamenti (b.1937), music composer. Best known for his movie soundtrack work for surrealist movie director David Lynch.
• Anne Bancroft (b. 1931),born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano, actress.
• Joseph Barbera, director, producer, and co-founder of Hanna-Barbera Movie Studios
• Toni Basil (b.1943), born Antonia Christina Basilotta, dancer, actress, singer
• Tony Bennett, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, singer.
• Yogi Berra (b.1925), born Lawrence Peter Berra. Former catche and manager in Major League Baseball. The Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yogi Bear was named after him.
• Robert Blake (b. 1933), born Michael Gubitosi, actor.
• Joseph Bonanno (1905-2002), Gangster
• Jon Bon Jovi (b. 1962), born John Frank Bongiovi, rock star, actor
• Sonny Bono (1935-1998), born Salvatore Phillip Bono, singer, actor, and politician
• Lorraine Bracco (b. 1954), actress
• David Brancaccio, journalist.
• Donnie Brasco, undercover FBI agent
• Albert R. Broccoli, (1909-1996), the producer of all but one of the first 17 James Bond movies. His ancestors developed and named the popular vegetable in Italy in the 19th century.
• Ivan Brunetti (b.1967), cartoonist and comics-author.
• Steve Buscemi (b. 1957), actor
• Nicolas Cage (b. 1964), born Nicholas Kim Coppola, actor, nephew of Francis Ford Coppola)
• Tony Canzoneri (1908-1959), boxer
• Al Capone (1899-1947), Chicago gangster
• Frank Capra (1897-1991), great American fimmaker - It's A Wonderful Life
• Jennifer Capriati, (b. 1976), professional tennisplayer.
• Harry Caray (1914-1998), born Harry Christopher Carabina, sports broadcaster, did play-by-play for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, and (most famously) the Chicago Cubs. Cubs win! Cubs win!
• Frank Carlucci, U.S. Secretary of Defense (1987-1989), chairman emeritus of the Carlyle Group.
• Paul Castellano, Mobster
• Federico Castelluccio (b. 1964), actor
• John Cazale, actor
• Anthony Celebrezze, (1910-1998), born in Potenza, Italy and the first non-native to be appointed to the U.S.Cabinet as Secretary of the Departement of Health, Education and Welfare under the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations.
• Argeo Paul Cellucci (b. 1948), former governor of Massachusetts
• David Chase (b. 1945), born David DeCesare, creator of The Sopranos
• Dominic Chianese, (b. 1934), actor
• Vincent Cianci, Jr, former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
• John Ciardi
• Michael Cimino (b.1939), film director - The Deer Hunter
• Joe Colombo, mobster
• Don Cornell (1919-2004), born Luigi Francisco Varlaro, a popular singer of the 1940s and 1950s.
• Perry Como (1912-2001), musician
• Richard Conte, actor
• Alicia Coppola (b. 1968), actress, no relation to the other famous Coppolas
• Francis Ford Coppola (b. 1939), movie director
• Sofia Coppola (b. 1971), movie director and actress, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola
• Jim Croce (1943-1973), singer/songwriter
• Pat Croce (b.1954), born Pasquale Croce, entrepreneur, once owner of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.
• Mario Cuomo (b. 1932), former governor of New York
• Alfonse M. D'Amato
• Gerard Damiano , director of Deep Throat.
• Tony Danza (b. 1951), actor
• Bobby Darin (1936-1973), born Walden Robert Cassotto, was one of the most popular rock and roll teen idols of the late 1950s.
• Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. (b.1946), billionaire, former owner of the five-time Superbowl champion San Francisco 49ers.
• Tino De Angelis, a New York-based commodities trader who cornered the soybean oil market in 1963. The result was a massive crash of the futures market.
• Don DeLillo, (b.1936), author best known for his novels.
• Fred De Luca, founder of Subway Sandwich
• Robert De Niro, actor
• Brian De Palma (born 1940), movie director
• Danny DeVito (born 1944), actor
• Leonardo DiCaprio (born 1974), actor
• Dom DiMaggio {b. 1917), baseball player
• Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), Baseball Hall of Famer
• Vince DiMaggio (1912-1986), baseball player
• Ronnie James Dio (b. 1942) heavy metal singer
• Dion (b. 1939), singer
• Peter Domenici, politician
• Vincent D'Onofrio, (b.1959), character actor.
• Angelo Dundee (b.1923), born Angelo Merena, boxing trainer.
• Jimmy Durante (1893-1980)
• Lou Duva (b.1922), boxing trainer.
• Robert Fano (b. 1917), computer scientist
• John Fante, novelist and screenwriter
• Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet
• Enrico Fermi (1901-1954), physicist
• Geraldine Ferraro
• Carly Fiorina, Hewlett Packard executive
• Connie Francis (b.1936), born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero, singer.
• Annette Funicello
• Carl Furillo, baseball player
• Bill Gallo (b.1922), famed cartoonist and newspaperman for the New York Daily News.
• Carlo Gambino, Mafia Boss
• James Gandolfini (b. 1961), actor
• Ben Gazzara (b. 1930), actor
• Vito Genovese, mobster
• A. Bartlett Giamatti (1938-1989), academic, Major League Baseball commissioner
• Amedeo Giannini, founder in 1904 of Bank of America, the largest bank in the United States
• Joey Giardello (b.1930), born Carmine Orlando Tilelli, boxing star during the 1950s and 1960s.
• Vincent Gigante, Gangster
• Jimmy Giuffre, jazz musician
• Rudolph Giuliani (b. 1944), Mayor of New York during 9/11
• Tom Golisano (b.1942), billionaire founder of Paychex, owner of the Buffalo Sabres. He ran for Governor of New York in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
• John Gotti, The Dapper Don
• Ella T. Grasso (1919-1981), first woman to be elected governor of a state without succeeding her husband
• Richard Grasso, chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange
• Rocky Graziano, boxer
• Pete Herman (1896-1973), born Peter Gulotta, was one of the all time great bantamweight world champions.
• Lee Iacocca, chairman of Chrysler Corporation
• Vincent R. Impellitteri, (1900-1987) Mayor of New York (1950-1953), born in Sicily.
• Michael Imperioli, supporting actor on "The Sopranos"
• Sonny Red Indelicato, (d. 1981?), mobster
• The Jacuzzi family. This family of seven sons and six daughters came to America in 1907. In 1915, they formed the Jacuzzi Brothers Incorporated , which supplied the American military with propellers. In 1926, they developed the deep well water pump that led to the famous whirlpool bath.
• Harry Jeffra (b. 1914), born Ignacio Guiffo, boxer.
• Jenna Jameson, born Jennifer Massoli, adult movie star
• Rocky Kansas (1895-1954), born Rocco Tozzo, former lightweight champion of the world.
• Fiorello LaGuardia (1882-1947), congressman and Mayor of New York
• Frankie Laine (b.1913), born Frank Paul LoVecchio, one of the most successful singers in history.
• Jake LaMotta, (b.1921), a former boxer whose life is portrayed in the 1980s movie Raging Bull. The "Bronx Bull" was played by Robert DeNiro.
• Mario Lanza, (1921-1959), operatic tenor and Hollywood movie star.
• Nick LaRocca (1889-1961), self-proclaimed "inventor of jazz"
• Cyndi Lauper, (b.1953), singer of Sicilian heritage whose melodic voice and wild costumes have come to epitomize the 1980s.
• Matt LeBlanc, (b. 1967) actor, (Joey on Friends)
• Vince Lombardi, (1913-1970), legendary football coach.
• Susan Lucci (b. 1947), soap opera actress (Erica Kane on All My Children)
• Lucky Luciano, gangster
• Ida Lupino (1914-1995), film actress. Her father, actor-author Stanley Lupino , descended from a line of actors, singers, mimes, jugglers, acrobats and puppeteers dating back to the Italian Renaissance clown Grimaldi.
• Madonna (b. 1958), born Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone ,singer
• Sal Maglie , Baseball player
• Henry Mancini, (1924-1994), Four-time Academy-Award and 20-time Grammy and Gold Record winner. He is remembered for his classic Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's. He also wrote the scores for 80 other movies, including the Pink Panther series.
• Salvatore Maranzano, Mafia Boss
• Rocky Marciano (1924-1969), boxer, only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated
• Dan Marino (b.1961), Hall of Fame quarterback for the Miami Dolphins widely regarded to be the "greatest passer in NFL history"
• Lelio "Les" Marino (1935?-2004), entrepreneur
• Dean Martin (1917-1995), singer & actor
• Al Martino (b.1927), singer
• Joe Masseria, mobster
• Joe Massino, mobster
• Joey Maxim (1922-2001), boxer, world light heavyweight champion. (Born Giuseppe Antonio Berardinelli)
• Tim McGraw (b.1967), country music singer and actor.
• Antonio Meucci, (b.1808), in june 2002, credited by the Congress of the United States with the invention of the telephone, instead of Alexander Graham Bell.
• Alyssa Milano, actress Who's The Boss? , Charmed
• Vincente Minnelli (1903-1986), film director, father of Liza Minnelli.
• Lisa Minnelli (b.1946), actress and singer, daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli
• Sal Mineo, actor
• Chieli Minucci, smooth jazz guitarist
• Joe Montana (b.1956), widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.
• Lou Monte, (1917-1989), singer
• Luis Monti , athlete
• Lisa Moretti, female professional wrestling champion known as Ivory with WWF-WWE
• George Moscone, former mayor of San Francisco
• James V. Monaco early American songwriter "You Made Me Love You".
• Sonny Black Napolitano (d. 1981?), mobster
• Laura Nyro songwriter
• Georgia O'Keeffe, artist (1887-1986). Her Mother was Ida Totto and the artist was named for her maternal grandfather, Giorgio Totto, who was born in Italy.
• Camille Paglia, post-feminist literary and cultural critic
• Al Pacino (b.1940), born Alfred James Pacino, actor.
• Leon Panetta, (b.1938), former White House Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, possible candidate for Governor of California in 2006 or perhaps even for President in 2008.
• Felix Pappalardi, rock and roll bassist and producer
• Bill Parcells, football coach
• John Pastore
• George Pataki, governor of New York
• Lisa Peluso (b. 1964), soap opera actress (Wendy Wilkins on Search for Tomorrow
• Willie Pep (b.1922), born Gugliemo Papaleo, former boxer.
• Art Pepper, jazz musician
• Joe Pesci, actor
• Mike Piazza (b. 1968), baseball star
• Rick Pitino (b. 1952), basketball coach
• Charles Ponzi, (1882-1949), one of the greatest swindlers in American history. Inventor of the Ponzi scheme technique.
• Louis Prima (1910-1978), musician & entertainer
• Mario Puzo (1920-1999), mafia author
• Leah Remini (b. 1970), actress (The King of Queens) (Italian on her father's side)
• Mary Lou Retton (b. 1968), Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics (original family name was Rotunda; changed by her grandfather)
• Christina Ricci (b. 1980), actress
• Ruggiero Ricci (b.1918), violin virtuoso
• Lisa Rinna (b. 1963), soap opera actress (most famous as Billie Reed on Days of Our Lives)
• Kelly Ripa (b. 1970), soap opera actress turned daytime talk show host
• Johnny Rivers early Rock'N Roll singer of many hit records
• Frank Rizzo, Mayor of Philadelphia
• Pete Rizzo
• Phil Rizzuto (b.1917), born Philip Francis Rizzuto, baseball player
• Peter Rodino , Chairman, House Judiciary Committee
• Louis Rossetto (b.1949), founder and former publisher of Wired Magazine.
• Angelo Rossi, Mayor of San Francisco
• Nicola Sacco(1891-1927), anarchist
• Laura San Giacomo, actress Just Shoot Me TV series
• Rick Santorum Senator from Pa.
• Susan Sarandon, (b.1946), Academy Award winning actress.
• John Saxon, actor
• Antonin Scalia (b. 1936), Supreme Court justice
• Annabella Sciorra, actress
• Martin Scorsese, movie director
• Emilio Segre, Nobel-winning physicist and academic
• Connie Sellecca, actress most famous for her role on Hotel
• Michelangelo Signorile, gay activist.
• Alan Silvestri (b.1950), film composer. Known for his numerous collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis.
• Frank Sinatra (1915-1998), U.S. singer
• John Sirica, judge most famous for presiding over the Watergate hearings
• Mira Sorvino, actress (daughter of Paul Sorvino)
• Paul Sorvino, actor
• Bruce Springsteen Rock Star, songwriter
• Sylvester Stallone (b. 1946), actor
• Gwen Stefani, singer/musician, best known as lead singer of pop/ska band No Doubt
• Paul Anthony Stewart (b. 1970), soap opera actor (Danny Santos on Guiding Light)
• Gay Talese, writer
• Quentin Tarantino, (b.1963), screenwriter, film director and actor - Pulp Fiction.
• Johnny Thunders, born John A. Genzale, rock musician.
• Dennis Tito (b.1940), the world's first space tourist. Growing up in Queens, New York, with immigrant parents who truly believed in the American Dream. After his space trip, Tito reflected: "The experience taught me that I could achieve anything if I set my mind to it."
• Marisa Tomei, actress, won Academy Award for [[My Cousin Vinny]]
• Arturo Toscanini, conductor
• Robert Torricelli, politician
• Johnny Torrio (1882 - 1957), Gangster
• John Travolta (b. 1954), movie actor
• Aida Turturro (b.1962), actress, playing Janice Soprano on the HBO, TV series The Sopranos.
• John Turturro (b.1957), actor
• Steven Tyler (b. 1951), born Steven Tolerico, rock star, songwriter
• Liv Tyler (b. 1977), movie actress
• Joe Valachi (1904-1971), the first wiseguy to squeal to the senate about organized crime.
• Jack Valenti, (b.1921), of Sicilian heritage, longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America (1966-2004).
• Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926), born Rodolfo Alfonso Rafaello Piero Filiberto Gugliemi di Valentina d'Antoguolla, Hollywood's first sex symbol and the first "Latin Lover"
• Jim Valvano (1946-1993), basketball coach and sportscaster
• Bartolomeo Vanzetti (1888-1927), anarchist
• Dick Vermeil, football coach
• Tony Visconti, rock music producer (based in Britain)
• Dick Vitale (b. 1939), basketball coach and sportscaster
• Dr. Andrew Viterbi (b.1935), billionaire, cofounder of Qualcomm, inventor of the Viterbi algorithm. Was born in Bergamo, Italy and immigrated with his parents in 1939 to the United States as a refugee.
• Harry Warren (1893-1981), born Salvatore Guaragna, wrote more hit songs than anyone in early 20th century America
• Johnny Wilson (1893-1985), born Giovanni Panica, boxer.
• Frank Zappa, (1940-1993), rock/jazz fusion musician, composer and satirist, of mixed Sicilian, Greek and Arab ancestry, father born in Alcamo, Sicily.

External links

• ¨List of famous Italian-Americans