Why Italy

Can you think of....?

...A single character of Italian descent from any American TV show who WASN'T mobbed up, corrupt, or generally immoral? I just realized I can't think of a single one. I think we have an image problem. Barbara, I'm referring to characters who are explicitly Italian-American, not Italian-American actors who play roles that are not explicitly Italian or members of rock bands who happen to be Italian. I see there are a few I hadn't remembered, though. Colombo, and Raymond. Joey's family was iffy.

Public Comments

1. joey triviani...
2. Tony Montana, Lucky Luciano
3. Michael Angarano (1987 - ) television/film actor (Sky High, Will & Grace) Justin Baldoni (1984 - ) television actor (Everwood) Rachel Bilson (1981 - ) film/television actress (The O.C.) Corbin Bleu (1989 - ) film/television actor (High School Musical) Chris Evans (1981 - ) film actor (Cellular, Fantastic Four) Vanessa Ferlito (1980 - ) actress (CSI: New York) Tina Majorino (1985 - ) film/television actress (Napoleon Dynamite) Hayden Panettiere (1989 - ) film/television actress (Heroes)] Shawn Pyfrom (1986 - ) television/film actor (Desperate Housewives) Jason Schwartzman (1980 - ) film actor (Marie Antoinette) Lauren Ambrose (1978 - ) film and television actress (Six Feet Under) Chad Allen (1974 - ) film/television actor (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) Sofia Coppola - director, actress, producer, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Leonardo DiCaprio - Academy Award-nominated actor ("Titanic", "The Aviator") Joey Fatone - pop singer/actor (*NSync, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") Carla Gugino - film actress Alyssa Milano - film/television actress ("Charmed") Kelly Monaco - model/actress ("All My Children") Leah Remini - film/TV actress ("The King Of Queens") Antonio Sabato Jr. - model/actor Milo Ventimiglia (1977 - ) film and television actor (Heroes, Gilmore Girls, Rocky Balboa) Kristian Alfonso - soap opera actress ("Days Of Our Lives") Scott Baio actor ("Happy Days", "Charles In Charge") Valerie Bertinelli - actress ("One Day At A Time") Jon Bon Jovi - singer/film actor ("Bon Jovi") David Boreanaz - actor ("Buffy The Vampire Slayer", "Angel") Nicolas Cage - Academy Award-winning actor, director, and producer Linda Fiorentino film actress ("The Last Seduction") Janeane Garofalo stand-up comedian, actress, political activist, and a guest radio host on Air America Radio Artie Lange television and movie actor, stand up comedian and radio personality Matt LeBlanc actor ("Friends") Téa Leoni (1966 - ) actress Ralph Macchio - film actor ("The Karate Kid") Tim McGraw actor/country music singer ] Christopher Meloni - actor ("Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", "Oz") Annabella Sciorra - actress (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) ] Mira Sorvino - Academy Award-winning actress, daughter of Paul Sorvino ] Gwen Stefani - singer/fashion designer/actress ] Marisa Tomei - Academy Award-winning film actress ("My Cousin Vinny") ] Lorraine Bracco - Academy Award-nominated actress ("The Sopranos", "Goodfellas") David Caruso - actor ("CSI: Miami", "Session 9") Tony Danza - actor/talk show host ("Who's The Boss", "Family Law") Lou Ferrigno bodybuilder and actor ("The Hulk") Jay Leno (1950 - ) comedian, former actor, known as host of The Tonight Show Madonna - musician, singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, entertainer Chazz Palminteri - actor ("A Bronx Tale") Joe Piscopo actor/comedian ("Saturday Night Live") Ray Romano - actor and comedian ("Everybody Loved Raymond") Isabella Rossellini (born 1952) - actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, model Rene Russo - film actress/model ("Lethal Weapon 3", "The Thomas Crown Affair") Connie Sellecca - actress John Travolta Steven Van Zandt (1950 - ) musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey (The Sopranos) Henry Mancini (1924-1994) Academy Award winning American composer, conductor and arranger Chuck Mangione, composer Joseph Barbera (1911 - 2006) animator, cartoon artist, storyboard artist, director, producer, and co-founder, together with William Hanna, of Hanna-Barbera Albert R. Broccoli (1909 - 1996) producer of all but one of the first 17 James Bond movies Nicolas Cage (1964 - ) actor, director and producer Frank Capra (1897 - 1991) film director Michael Cimino (1939 - ) film director - The Deer Hunter Francis Ford Coppola (1939 - ) five time Academy Award winning film director, producer, and screenwriter Brian De Palma (1940 - ) movie director Danny DeVito (1944 - ) actor, director, and Oscar-nominated producer Lou Romano member of the Art Department in Pixar Animation Studios Martin Scorsese (1942 - ) iconic Academy Award-winning film director Quentin Tarantino (1963 - ) film director, actor, and Oscar-winning screenwriter Tony Danza (1951 - ) actor and talk show host Annette Funicello (1942 - ) singer and actress, Walt Disney's most popular Mouseketeer Jimmy Kimmel (1967 - ) television comedy talk-show host and producer Rachael Ray (1968 - ) Emmy-winning television personality and author Kelly Ripa (1970 - ) actress and talk show host Tony Bennett, born Anthony Benedetto Freddy Cannon, (b.1940), of Extreme and Van Halen. Bobby Darin (1936-1973), Chris DeGarmo, ex-guitarist of 80s rock band Queensrÿche. Micky Dolenz, Mario Lanza Dean Martin (1917 - 1995) Felix Pappalardi, rock and roll bassist and producer Joe Perry (1950 - ) Aerosmith Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi. Joe Satriani, guitar virtuoso Frank Sinatra Nancy Sinatra Nikki Sixx, born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, rock star (Mötley Crüe) Jamie Spaniolo, rapper Bruce Springsteen, rock star, songwriter (Italian on his mother's side) Steven Tyler (b. 1951), born Steven Tallarico, rock star, songwriter (Italian on his father's side) Steve Vai, guitar virtuoso Steven Van Zandt (1950 - ) musician, songwriter, arranger, (The Sopranos) Frank Zappa Tony Bennett, Sonny Bono (1935-1998 Lou Christie, Perry Como (1912-2001 Jim Croce (1943-1973), born James Joseph Croce. Ani DiFranco (Italian American on her father's side) Dion DiMucci (b. 1939), better known as Dion. Jimmy Durante (1893-1980), born James Francis Durante. Connie Francis (b. 1936), born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero, singer. Alicia Keys Frankie Laine (b. 1913), born Frank Paul LoVecchio, one of the most successful singers in history. Mario Lanza, (1921-1959), operatic tenor and Hollywood movie star. Lindsay Lohan - teen idol/pop singer/actress, part Italian
4. joey any idiot and cancelled
5. Mario and Luigi....no, they beat the crap out of those koopas, never mind. Yeah the guy above me got it, Joey on friends.
6. The Fonz
7. I'm Italian too... and you're right there are none.
8. I think you are correct....
9. raymond
10. Tony Danza characters, which are all named Tony.
11. the Gotti 's Mom & sons
12. Columbo
13. who's the boss I can't remember his name but I remember the show,Tony Danza that's it!
14. Tony Danza from Who's the Boss
15. Columbo, Fonz (or Colombo and Fonzie, as we say in Italy :), Petrocelli, Micheal Garibaldi from Babylon 5 (not only Italian, Piedmontese descent, the very best :-). Apparently Emma DeMarco from Mutant X. Although they're just the few ones they came to my mind (in a 40 years span of American television). Perhaps some guest star: D'Amato, Rizzo, Gaetano from original Star Trek series. All died in the episode in which they appered :) Edit I also remember in "Homicide" there's a lot of positive view on Italian Americans, Yaphet Kotto charachter above all; not perfect (I remember a Falsone statement about Sicilians...) but way better than average.
16. Tony Danza in "Who's the Boss" and Danny DeVito in "Taxi." I like the mobbed up characters better,I think they're cool because they remind me of my neighborhood boys.Hey everybody,the Fonz wasn't even Italian,Henry Winkler is Jewish for goodness sakes !