Gianni Russo

Gianni Vito Russo is an American actor and singer, born on December 12, 1943, in Manhattan. He grew up in Little Italy and Rosebank, Staten Island. Russo gained fame for his role as Carlo Rizzi in the 1972 film The Godfather, and he reprised the character in a flashback scene in The Godfather Part II. Throughout his career, he appeared in over 46 films, including Goodnight, My Love (1972), Lepke (1975), Super Mario Bros. (1993), and Seabiscuit (2003). Russo started his career in organized crime, working for Frank Costello, but later left that lifestyle. He also owned a Las Vegas restaurant while pursuing his acting career.