Joseph R. Gannascoli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joseph R. Gannascoli
Gannascoli in 2011
Born	(1959-02-15) February 15, 1959 (age 66) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, chef
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Diana Gannascoli ​ ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	1

Joseph R. Gannascoli is an American actor and chef. He was born on February 15, 1959. He is well-known for playing the character Vito Spatafore. This role was in the popular TV show The Sopranos on HBO.

Early Life and Education

Joseph Gannascoli grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In the 1980s, he went to St. John's University for two years. He studied communications there. Before becoming an actor, he worked as a chef. He cooked in different restaurants. These included places in New York City and New Orleans.

Acting Career Highlights

Gannascoli got his first big chance in acting from Benicio del Toro. They met while working on the movie Money for Nothing. After that, Gannascoli appeared in the film Ed Wood. Benicio del Toro then cast him in his own short film, Submission.

He also acted in other movies like Mickey Blue Eyes. He appeared on TV shows such as Law & Order. Later, he joined The Sopranos. In the first season, he played a small role as "Gino." This was in the episode "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti".

Becoming Vito Spatafore

Gannascoli later got a bigger role on The Sopranos. He played Vito Spatafore. Vito was the nephew of another character, Richie Aprile. He became a regular actor on the show starting in Season 6.

Joseph Gannascoli has also appeared in other films. These include Men in Black III. He starred in the 2015 movie An Act of War. He also appeared with Vincent Pastore on the TV show Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back in 2020. More recently, he was in the pilot episode of Bring on the Dancing Horses.

Writing and Cooking

In January 2006, Joseph Gannascoli published a book. It was a crime novel called A Meal to Die For: A Culinary Novel of Crime.

Before he became famous as an actor, Gannascoli worked in the food business for many years. He worked in restaurants in New York City and New Orleans. He even started his own restaurant in Brooklyn.

Since about 2017, Gannascoli has offered catering services. He cooks for small parties himself. Sometimes, these parties have a Sopranos theme.

Film and Television Roles

Joseph Gannascoli has acted in many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Role

Images for kids

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  Gannascoli in 2011