Carmine Caridi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carmine Caridi
Caridi in 1981
Born	(1934-01-23)January 23, 1934 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	May 28, 2019(2019-05-28) (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1962–2019
Height	6'4" (1.93 m)

Carmine Caridi (born January 23, 1934 – died May 28, 2019) was an American actor. He appeared in many films, TV shows, and plays. He is best known for his roles in the famous Godfather movies, The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990).

In 2004, Caridi became the first person ever to be removed from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Oscars.

Life and Career

Carmine Caridi had many memorable roles. He played Carmine Rosato in The Godfather Part II (1974). Later, he played Albert Volpe in The Godfather Part III (1990). He is one of only three actors to play two different characters in the Godfather film series.

Some people thought Caridi was the first choice for the role of Sonny Corleone in the first Godfather movie. However, the director, Francis Ford Coppola, wanted James Caan for the part. Caridi was considered too tall to act alongside Al Pacino.

Caridi also appeared in the movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978). In this film, he played an amusement park manager named Calvin Richards. He also played Sam Giancana in the 1992 film Ruby.

On television, Caridi played Dan Valenti on the show Phyllis from 1976 to 1977. He was also Angelo Martelli in the TV series Fame between 1982 and 1983. From 1993 to 1999, Caridi played Detective Vince Gotelli in the TV series NYPD Blue.

Academy Membership Incident

On January 13, 2004, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced something important. They found that copies of several movies, meant for Oscar voters, were shared illegally online. These copies were traced back to a special version sent to Caridi.

The Academy gives out "screener" copies of movies to its members. This is so they can watch and vote for the Oscars. Members agree to keep these copies safe and not share them.

Caridi had given his screener copies of about 60 movies to a friend. He said he believed his friend was just a movie fan. Even though Caridi was cleared of any serious legal wrongdoing, he had broken the Academy's rules.

Because he violated the agreement to protect the screeners, the Academy removed Caridi from its membership. This happened on February 3, 2004. He was the first Academy member ever to be expelled.

Death

Carmine Caridi passed away on May 28, 2019. He was in a hospital in Los Angeles at the time.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Carmine Caridi para niños