Federico Castelluccio Movies
A Naples native who was raised in Patterson, NJ, and earned a full scholarship to New York City's School of Visual Arts thanks to early display of creativity, actor Federico Castelluccio first rose to fame as an award-winning illustrator when actor George Burns personally commissioned a portrait from him. So impressed was Burns by the portrait that the legendary comic went on to sing the praises of Castelluccio to executives at PBS and ABC -- an act that allowed the artist to support himself by painting throughout his college years. Back in the realm of acting, Castelluccio honed his talents in summer stock, off-off-Broadway, and various Shakespeare festivals in the mid-'80s, eventually signing on with such respectable repertoire groups as the Flock and Eclectic theater companies. While roles in Twelfth Night and A View from the Bridge, among other plays, found Castelluccio growing increasingly comfortable on-stage, subsequent roles in such independent films as Made and Fire found the emerging actor focusing increasingly on film. Perhaps best known to television viewers as Neapolitan enforcer Furio Giunta on the hit crime drama The Sopranos, Castelluccio traded his silencer for a sword in the medieval fantasy adventure Dragon Dynasty before venturing back into the world of contemporary crime with a supporting role in the hit indie film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. With high-profile feature roles in Aftermath, The Trouble with Cali, and Capers following in quick succession, fans could rest assured that they would be seeing plenty more of the prolific artist-turned-actor in the years to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Pop icon Marc Anthony steps into the role of Salsa superstar Hector Lavoe in this biopic that follows the singer from his early career success as a Puerto Rican teen sensation to his later status as a New York City Latin idol while also documenting his ongoing struggle against drug and alcohol addiction. Actress and pop star Jennifer Lopez co-stars as Puchi; Lavoe's longtime muse and love interest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, (more)
Sixteen months after the end of The Sopranos' third season, Season Four gets under way. And if you think THIS is a long hiatus, "Fuggeddabouddit"--wait until we get to Season Six! New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano finally has an excuse to whack the troublesome Ralphie Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano, who will win Emmy for his abbreviated recurring role), thereby allowing Ralphie's troubled lieutenant Vito (Joseph R. Gannascoli) to become Capo of the Aprile branch of the DiMeo crime organization. But though Ralphie is gone, he's far from forgotten, and will continue to haunt Tony in more ways than one. Adding to Tony's burdens, his marriage with Carmela (Edie Falco) completely disintegrates, due in no small part to his endless parade of mistresses, notably Adriana (Drea de Matteo), now the lover of Tony's protégé Christopher (Michael Imperioli). Elsewhere, Tony's unstable sister Janice (Aida Turturro) goes to great and gory lengths to gain control of her late mother's valuable record collection--which gets her in big trouble with, of all people, the Russian Mafia. And Tony's treacherous Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) is back in circulation thanks to a rigged jury, still plotting and planning to oust his nephew and take charge of the operation himself (if senility doesn't take charge of him first). In another development, Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola) of the Lupertazzi crime family approaches Tony (by way of Paulie Walnuts [Tony Sirico]) with an offer he can't refuse: Bump off Johnny's boss Carmine Lupertazzi (Tony Lip), and Tony can write his own ticket. But the offer is refused, and the stage is set for the bloody turf war to follow in Season Five. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
Being head of the Northern New Jersey branch of the DiMeo crime family is no bed of roses for Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) in Season Three of HBO's The Sopranos. Tony's headaches begin early on with the dangerously unstable, sexually deviant and recklessly profane Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) returns to the organization after a lengthy absence. Though there's no love lost between the two men, Tony arranges for Ralph to take over the illicit business operations of the late Richie Aprile, who'd been bumped off in a fit of rage by Tony's treacherous sister Janice (Aida Turturro) the previous season. Also causing trouble is another new arrival on the scene: Richie's nephew Jackie Aprile Jr. (Jason Carbone), nicknamed "Little Lord F**kpants" because of his pathetic inability to live up to the standards and expectations of his celebrated criminal family. Though Tony tolerates Jackie Jr. and somewhat admires the boy's efforts to live a clean life away from Uncle Richie's influence, things quickly go south when Jackie becomes involved with Tony's daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lyn Sigler)--and also tries to emulate his no-good uncle, turning into a pariah by planning--and bungling--a robbery on his own. Blood kin or no blood kin, Ralph has to "deal" with Jackie Jr., arranging with all-purpose henchman Vito Spatafore (Joseph R. Gannascoli) to handle the dirty details. Elsewhere, Tony's protégé Christopher (Michael Imperioli) has been fully embraced by the Family, despite his ongoing war of wills with veteran capo Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico); Tony's analyst Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) the identity of her rapist a secret from Tony, so that she won't have anyone's murder on her conscience; and the FBI comes a-cropper planting an electronic bug in the Soprano mansion. One of the Season Three story arcs was to involve Tony's spiteful mother Livia, who was to have testified against her son in a federal trial. The death of actress Nancy Marchand (Livia Soprano) put an end to these plans, but through the magic of CGI Livia makes one final "appearance" to make her son's life even more miserable than usual. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
New Jersey Mafia boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) continues maintaining the facade of being a respectable suburban husband and father while operating a vast criminal organization from the confines of the Bada-Bing Club during Season Two of The Sopranos. Now that the treacherous Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) has been placed under arrest by the feds, and with his far-from-supportive mother Livia (Nancy Marchand, who died during this season) has been exiled to a nursing home, Tony thinks that his family problems are over. No such luck: Breezing in from Seattle is Tony's seriously disturbed, sexually promiscuous and thoroughly untrustworthy sister Janice (Aida Turturro), the closest thing that any mob family has had to a "black sheep". There's more trouble from the dangerously impulsive Richie Aprile (David Proval), older brother of Tony's predecessor Jackie Aprile Sr., who is resentful that a younger man has taken over the Aprile branch of the DeMeo crime organization. Richie also has a mad-on for Tony's trusted protégé Christopher (Michael Imperioli), whose own prestige within the mob continues to grow by leaps and bounds, especially after he engineers the family's elaborate "pump-and-dump" stock scam. Christopher himself has developed a close relationship with Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), and never mind that she is one of "Uncle" Tony's mistresses. Though the FBI agent within the family's ranks has been whacked, there is still someone feeding information to the feds. It breaks Tony's heart to discover that his trusted torpedo Big Pussy (Vincent Pastore) is the turncoat, but business is business, and Tony is obliged to stage-manage Big Pussy's demise during a now-famous boat trip. Nor is this the end of the intramural carnage: despite having become engaged to her former flame Richie Aprile, Tony's sister Janice settles a bitter argument with Richie in typical Soprano fashion. Result: No wedding, and no Richie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
