Michael Vincente Gazzo
Highest Rated: 100% King Creole (1958)
Lowest Rated: 15% Cookie (1989)
Birthday: Apr 05, 1923
Birthplace: Hillside, New Jersey, USA
A broad-playing, gravel-voiced character player best known as Frankie Pentangeli, capo of the old neighborhood, in "The Godfather, Part II" (1974), Gazzo was also a renowned acting teacher and award-winning playwright. He began working simultaneously as a stage director and actor at the Great Neck (NY) Playhouse. From 1946-49, while studying at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research, he directed several shows and acted in numerous productions, including "The Little Foxes" and "Juno and the Paycock." After graduating, Gazzo began a life-long association with the Actors Studio out of which developed his acclaimed play "A Hatful of Rain" (1955), a portrait of a lower-middle-class man attempting to break his addiction to drugs. It was filmed in 1957, co-written by Gazzo, with a cast that included Don Murray as the addict, Eva Marie Saint as his pregnant wife and Anthony Franciosa (repeating his stage role) as his brother. His second play, "Night Circus," was produced in New York in 1958, with less stellar results. That same year he also wrote "King Creole," a movie starring Elvis Presley.
Photos
Highest Rated Movies
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | 60% | Nothing to Lose | Joe (Character) | - | 1994 |
| 38% | 47% | Last Action Hero | Torelli (Character) | - | 1993 |
| 15% | 39% | Cookie | Carmine (Character) | $1.4M | 1989 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Blood Ties | Joseph Salina (Character) | - | 1986 |
| 64% | 33% | Fear City | Mike (Character) | - | 1984 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Winter of Our Discontent | Marullo (Character) | - | 1983 |
| No Score Yet | 50% | Body and Soul | Frankie (Character) | - | 1981 |
| 40% | 34% | Back Roads | Tazio (Character) | - | 1981 |
| No Score Yet | 0% | Cuba Crossing | Rossellini (Character) | - | 1980 |
| 80% | 48% | Alligator | Chief Clark (Character) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | 33% | Blood Barrier | Chico Suarez (Character) | - | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Beach Patrol | Banker (Character) | - | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | 40% | Love and Bullets | Lobo (Character) | - | 1979 |
| 83% | 69% | Fingers | Ben (Character) | - | 1978 |
| 75% | 65% | King of the Gypsies | Spiro Giorgio (Character) | - | 1978 |
| 69% | 64% | Black Sunday | Muzi (Character) | - | 1977 |
| 98% | 97% | The Godfather, Part II | Frankie Pentangeli (Character) | - | 1974 |
| 100% | 83% | King Creole | Screenwriter | - | 1958 |
| No Score Yet | 74% | A Hatful of Rain | Screenwriter | - | 1957 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jake and the Fatman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1992 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 1st & Ten | Sal Arcola (Guest Star) | 1984-1985 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Partners in Crime | Mr. Kapp (Guest Star) | 1984 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Fall Guy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1982 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Taxi | Vince (Guest Star) | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fantasy Island | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Columbo | Vittorio Rossi (Guest Star) | 1978 |
| 33% | No Score Yet | Alice | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barnaby Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Starsky and Hutch | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1977 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Welcome Back, Kotter | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1976 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kojak | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1975 |
QUOTES FROM Michael Vincente Gazzo CHARACTERS
Tom Hagen says: Don't worry about anything, Frankie Five-Angels.
Frankie Pentangeli says: Thanks, Tom. Thanks.
Tom Hagen says: Frankie, you were always interested in politics, in history. I remember you talking about Hitler back in '43. We were young then.
Frankie Pentangeli says: Yeah, I still read a lot. They bring me stuff.
Tom Hagen says: You were around the old timers who dreamed up how the Families should be organized, how they based it on the old Roman Legions, and called them 'Regimes'... with the 'Capos' and 'Soldiers,' and it worked.
Frankie Pentangeli says: Yeah, it worked. Those were great old days. We was like the Roman Empire. The Corleone family was like the Roman Empire.
Tom Hagen says: (sadly) Yeah, it was once. (very gently) The Roman Empire... when a plot against the Emperor failed, the plotters were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes.
Tom Hagen says: [sadly] Yeah, it was once. [very gently] The Roman Empire... when a plot against the Emperor failed, the plotters were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes.
Frankie Pentangeli says: Yeah, but only the rich guys. The little guys got knocked off. If they got arrested and executed, all their estate went to the Emperor. If they just went home and killed themselves, up front, nothing happened.
Tom Hagen says: Yeah, that was a good break. A nice deal. Pentangeli looks at Hagen; he understands.
Frankie Pentangeli says: They went home and sat in a hot bath and opened their veins, and bled to death. Sometimes they gave a little party before they did it. Hagen throws away his cigar. Pentangeli puffs on his.
Frankie Pentangeli says: Your father did business with Hyman Roth, he respected Hyman Roth... but he never trusted Hyman Roth!
Frankie Pentangeli says: Your father did business with Hyman Roth, he respected Hyman Roth, but he never trusted Hyman Roth!