Tony Lo Bianco Movies
Supporting and occasional lead actor Tony Lo Bianco is perhaps best known as a television actor, but he has also found success on-stage and in films. The New York native specializes in playing streetwise Italians. He started out in theater and made his feature film debut in The Honeymoon Killers (1969) as a murderous gigolo involved with an overweight nurse. He subsequently went on to appear, primarily as a character actor, in low-budget and major features. On television, he guest starred on numerous series and has appeared in such miniseries as Bella Mafia (1997) and made-for-television outings like Jesus of Nazareth (1977). Lo Bianco has also directed episodes of television series such as Police Story and Cliffhangers. In 1985 he directed Too Scared to Scream. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Actor/director Carl T. Evans pulls double duty on both sides of the camera to weave this paranoid tale of a New Jersey police detective who stumbles into a far-reaching government conspiracy. Evans teams with screenwriter/producer Charles Kipps to pen an original screenplay, and Chris Noth co-stars as a college professor who remains skeptical of the detective's outrageous claims. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carl T. Evans, Chris Noth, (more)
- 2005
Originally titled Echoes, this made-for-cable drama is set in Napa Valley wine country, sometime in the 1980s. Patricia Heaton (who also produced the film) stars as Sara, the daughter of strong-willed vineyard owner Alicia Anselmi (Lainie Kazan). Hoping to arrange a merger between Alicia and rival vintner Nick Di Cenzo (Tony Lo Bianco), Sara must first overcome the bitter 40-year-feud between ex-sweethearts Alicia and Nick, which began when each seemingly jilted the other during WW2. The delivery of a long-lost engagement ring proves beyond doubt that Nick had intended to marry Alicia, but evidently this does little to alleviate their mutual animosity. And when it appears that Sara intends to dump her fiancé Brian (David Hunt) in favor of Nick's nephew Tony (Vincent Spano), Alicia and Nick are all the more convinced that any merger between the Anselmi and DiCenzo families--even a merger that never comes to fruition--will result only in heartache for all concerned. The Engagement Ring originally aired over the TNT cable network on November 28, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patricia Heaton, Lainie Kazan, (more)
- 2004
This documentary examines the place of Italian immigrants in American culture from the 19th century through World War II. Through the use of photographs, music, poetry and the commentary of historians, the changing Italian identity is explored along with the prejudices that it faced in American society. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- 2003
While pursuing a story in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1994, Italian investigative reporter Ilaria Alpi and her cameraman Miran Hrovatin were brutally murdered for uncovering what was later discovered to be one of the largest governmental corruption scandals in European history. Director Ferdinando Vincentini Orgnani retells the journalists' final month prior to their murder in his 2003 drama Ilaria Alpi: Il Più Crudele Dei Giorni (The Cruelest Day). The younger and more career-driven Alpi (portrayed by Giovanna Mezzogiorno) has been incessantly investigating the money that Italian humanitarian organizations have been donating to Third World countries under the auspices of building roads and generally improving the beneficiary countries' infrastructure. Meeting Hrovatin (Rade Sherbedgia) after beginning her investigation, the two uncover the shocking truth: These "humanitarian organizations" are actually fronts for secret Italian governmental agencies who are shipping tons of toxic waste to these countries for surreptitious disposal. Just as Alpi and Hrovatin begin to dig deeper into their story, they are ambushed and killed -- but not before the truth had been revealed to an unsuspecting European populace. Ilaria Alpi: Il Più Crudele Dei Giorni was selected for inclusion into the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Rade Sherbedgia, (more)
- 2002
A rock singer dies of an apparent drug overdose. The detectives and lawyers determined that what appears to be an accident is actually murder, possibly perpetrated by a disenchanted cohort of the deceased. Further complicating the case is the omnipresence of detective-turned-bestselling novelist Mike Foster (Tony Lo Bianco), who is hard at work on a tell-all book about the dead woman's former husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Two Mafia gunmen give new meaning to the phrase "keeping it in the family" in this offbeat comedy. Danny (Christopher Gartin) and Stephen (Greg Lauren) are a pair of mob enforcers who see to it that no one crosses the Family and lives to tell about it. However, Danny and Stephen are hit men with a difference -- they're also lovers; and while they know how to get rid of troublemakers, little things like cooking and sewing are not their strong suits. They find themselves thrown for a loop when Stephen's parents (Frank Pellegrino and Beth Fowler) stop by for an unexpected visit, which leaves them with a bit of explaining to do, about their occupations and their lifestyle. Friends and Family also features Tony Lo Bianco, Tovah Feldshuh, and Anna Maria Alberghetti. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christopher Gartin, Greg Lauren, (more)
- 2000
A young Frenchman's search for his American father provides the thematic center of this drama by septuagenarian director Jerry Schatzberg. Daniel (Guillaume Canet) repairs brass instruments for a living, and when he journeys to New York to work on some French horns for Paul (Tony Lo Bianco), a business friend, he brings with him a scrap of paper bearing the identity of his father, whom he has never met. Upon his arrival in New York, Daniel is introduced to Paul's family, which includes his daughter Tilly (Monica Trombetta) and Joey (Nick Sandow), her abusive lout of a husband. Daniel receives a tough introduction to the South Bronx neighborhood where he looks for his father, getting robbed and witnessing a drive-by shooting in the space of a few minutes. Fortunately, he's befriended by William (Jay Rivera), a streetwise kid, and his grandfather, Cecil (Norman Matlock). The two help Daniel navigate life in the 'hood, and he is gradually led to a disreputable landlord (Burt Young) who may have vital information about Daniel's father. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Guillaume Canet, Burt Young, (more)
- 1997
Based on a Mary Higgins Clark novel, this made-for-TV mystery centers on a prosecutor who endangers her own life when she becomes overly curious about a 10-year-old unsolved murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meredith Baxter, Victor Garber, (more)
- 1997
It looks like a clear-cut case of suicide when a young woman plunges off a bridge. However, disturbing questions are raised during the ensuing investigation thanks to the evasive behavior of the witnesses. The subsequent prosecution boils down to a case of arson, a probable instance of blackmail, and a grown-up version of the traditional "big bully." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
In the first episode of a three-part story arc, Bolander (Ned Beatty), Howard (Melissa Leo), and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) are ambushed and shot down when attempting to serve a warrant. In his efforts to track down the suspect, Pembleton (Andre Braugher) is partnered with a detective who prefers to use a bizarre psychological approach to crime-solving, and is also given a helping hand by Bolander's former partner Mitch (Tony Lo Bianco). Complicating matters is the realization that the shooting might have been averted had it not been for a disastrous clerical error. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1995
In the conclusion of a three-part story arc, public anger over the shooting that left three homicide detectives seriously wounded and the killer at large results in an ultimatum: Either Homicide solves the case within 48 hours, or it will be turned over to another department. Making matters worse, the cops may have the wrong man in custody when they catch up with the suspect, and the recovery of wounded detective Stan Bolander (Ned Beatty) is progressing painfully slowly. On a more positive note, Russert (Isabella Hoffman) and Howard (Melissa Leo) finally agree to settle their differences and work in harmony -- or at least try to do so. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1995
In the second episode of a three-part story arc, the detectives continue tracking down the pedophile who may or may not have seriously wounded Bolander (Ned Beatty), Howard (Melissa Leo), and Felton (Daniel Baldwin) in a bloody ambush. Meanwhile, Felton begins to recover from his wounds, but his colleagues may not be so lucky. And it looks as though Giardello (Yaphet Kotto) will be forced to take the rap for the clerical error that led to the shooting -- and that Russert (Isabella Hoffman) will be the one who hangs Giardello out to dry. Real-life Baltimore homicide cop (Gary D'Addario), the series' technical advisor and the prototype for the Giardello character, appears as Col. Granger. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1995
This made-for-television movie tells the story of the tumultuous life of heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson. The movie follows the boxer (played by Michael Jai White) from his early New York youth as criminal offender all the way to his years as a national boxing celebrity. With the help of controversial promoter Don King (Paul Winfield), Tyson became the World Heavyweight Champion, only to lose it all and go to jail for a rape conviction. This biopic was based on Jose Torres' book on Tyson, Fire and Fear. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- 1994
Racketeer Paul Avensino (Tony LoBianco) buys a controlling interest in a popular restaurant, but he finds that he exercises no control over the establishment's egotistical chef Bernard Bonelli (John Saxon). Shortly after a confrontation between the two men, Bonelli is murdered--and lest anyone suspect Avensino of the crime, he turns up dead as well. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) becomes involved in the case when her friend Lorna (Heidi Swedberg), host of a TV cooking show, is charged with one of the murders. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1994
The most notable thing about this Italian drama, set in British East Africa (Kenya) during WW II, is it's scenery. It follows the factual adventure of an Italian POW, Franco Distassi, interred in a British camp run by African subjects. The camp is close to Mount Kenya, one of the most challenging peaks for mountain-climbers. The chief officer, Major David Farrell, a recent widower and unambitious officer, wants to climb Mount Kenya. He is also interested in a lovely local widow. He has failed in his attempts for both the mountain and the woman. POWs Franco Distassi challenges Maj. Farrell to a climb. He and a partner, Enzo, create a plan, which may involve an escape, to place the Italian flag at the summit and then sneak back to camp. Franco dislikes the notion of planting the flag, but persists in the endeavor after Enzo must quit. He is pursued by the enraged and envious Major. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vincent Spano, Ben Cross, (more)
- 1992
When a decorated New York City policeman voiced his opposition to an accused cop killer's death sentence, his co-workers ostracized him in this true story. ~ Rovi
- 1992
The frozen body of a baby is found, whereupon the child's mother falls under suspicion for causing the infant's death. The woman insists that the real villain is slumlord Iris Colman (Karen Lynn Gorney), who cites the "rent laws" as her excuse to deny proper heating to her tenants. But another resident of the same apartment building offers up an entirely different story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
In this two-part adventure drama based on a thriller by author Sidney Sheldon, three nuns must run for their lives from a cruel colonel. Their flight leads them straight to a renowned Spanish rebel. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deborah Raffin, Michael Nouri, (more)
- 1992
When a private detective takes on a missing person assignment trying to find an Italian aristocrat's uncle, she discovers a conspiracy of murder and drugs. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cybill Shepherd, Robert Beltran, (more)
- 1991
Seven mobsters make a nighttime heist on New York City's Kennedy Airport, in this retelling of the true story of the shocking Lufthansa robbery. This cash robbery--the largest in American history--unfolds in 1978, the scheme plotted by gangster Jimmy "The Gent" Burke. The film follows them as the characters move deeper and deeper into the violence of their crime, ~ Rovi
- 1991
In the seventh-season finale of Murder She Wrote, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) joins forces with her old friend, Boston PI Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach), to solve a murder. The victim was Nick Culhane (Pat Harrington Jr.) a former writer turned spokesman for a major beer manufacturing firm. It turns out that at the time of his death, Nick had been working on an expose of dirty doings within the powerful brewing family who had hired him! Featured in the cast is former US Postmaster General Anthony Frank...as a mailman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1991
Set in England and Europe, Death Has a Bad Reputation stars Alan Howard as a crack British espionage agent. Howard breaks and twists the rules to bring terrorist Tony Lo Bianco to justice. The quest is as much personal as professional: Howard's son has just been seriously injured in a terrorist attack. Pamela Villoresi and Elizabeth Hurley costar in this fast-moving, thriftily produced thriller. One of the first of many TV movies made to order for the USA Cable Network, Death Has a Bad Reputation debuted on March 14, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Howard, Elizabeth Hurley, (more)
- 1990
Not to be confused with the oft-filmed Fannie Hurst yarn Back Street, Backstreet Dreams is a contemporary drama of Humanity vs. the Streets. Jason O'Malley plays a New York hoodlum who doesn't trust his wife Sherilyn Fenn as far as he can throw her (and for good reason). The only person O'Malley truly cares for is his autistic son Shane, played by twin children Joseph and John Viezzi. Brooke Shields (who's better than you might think) enters the scene as a PhD candidate who hopes to get through to Shane. Now it is the unfaithful Fenn's turn to seethe with jealousy as Shields applies her "force holding" theory to Shane, she and O'Malley draw closer together. O'Malley is so taken by Shields' compassion that he severs his mob ties--but Big Boss Burt Young won't let him off so easy, and uses Shane as a "bargaining chip." Backstreet Dreams appears at times to be three films jumbled together; every time a story element starts rolling, it is exiled to the back burner in favor of another gratuitous subplot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brooke Shields, Jason O'Malley, (more)
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason begins representing an author who is accused of killing her conniving ex-husband at a mystery writers convention. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1988
Body of Evidence was first telecast the same evening as A Father's Revenge and The Murder of Mary Phagan: January 24, 1988, which may well stand as one of the bloodiest evenings in TV history. The setting for Body of Evidence is a small cloistered Massachusetts town. When a serial killer begins decimating the female population, police inspector Tony Lo Bianco and forensic pathologist Barry Bostwick conduct an investigation. Only Bostwick's new wife Margot Kidder suspects that it is her seemingly benign husband who may be the murderer--and she's slower on the uptake than the viewers. Though set in New England, Body of Evidence was filmed in Calgary. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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