Joe Spinell

His father, Pelegrino Spagnuolo (1892-1950), died from liver and kidney disease.

Attended the Madison Square Boys Club located on 29th Street in Manhattan when he was age nine.

Joseph J. Spagnuolo was born on October 28, 1936 in Manhattan, New York City at his family's apartment on 2nd Avenue. Spinell was a tough guy on and off the screen all his life. During his teen years, while still in high school, he acted in various plays on the New York stage, on and off Broadway, eventually earning a place in Joe Papp's Shakespeare Festival Theater.

In 1960, he parlayed his stage work into a performing contract for MGM, where it was suggested that he change his name to Joe Spinell to make his name easier to pronounce. For nine years, Spinell worked with the group, which was also known as the Theater of the Forgotten, which also put on plays in prisons for the inmates. His minimal salary for his stage work forced him to hold down other jobs to make ends meet. Those jobs included working as a taxi driver, a post office clerk, and a liquor store clerk during Christmas holidays.

In 1972, Spinell was originally noticed when he appeared in his first movie role, a small, uncredited speaking part in The Godfather (1972), the right film for a tough, mean-looking Italian with a New York City accent. After his success, he became a familiar character actor who appeared in violent urban movies where he was usually cast as vicious thugs or seedy gang leaders. In both Godfather movies he played the hit man Willy Cici.

Has appeared with Sylvester Stallone in four films: Farewell, My Lovely (1975), Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979) and Nighthawks (1981).

In Rocky (1976), the first of several films he made with Sylvester Stallone, he played the loan shark Gazzo who employs Rocky as a collector.

Also worked as a dialogue director during the making of the B movie cult classic Starcrash (1978). He dubbed his own voice using a different accent to hide his distinctive New York accent.

His best (or worst) or most disgusting role is probably the one for which he is best remembered: the rare starring role of Frank Zito in Maniac (1980), a serial killer who kills women and uses their scalps to dress up female mannequins he keeps in his apartment.

After Maniac (1980), Spinell continued acting with big-name Hollywood and independent movie directors, usually playing villainous thugs in small to medium roles. During the last years of his life, Spinell's choice of projects became increasingly suspect; for example, imprisoned serial killer John Wayne Gacy wanted Spinell to play him in a movie.

But with Maniac (1980) still on his mind, Spinell always wanted to do a sequel to the movie and with New York filmmaker Buddy Giovinazzo, they shot a 10-minute promo reel in 1986 titled Mr.

Robbie, which was to be the sequel for Maniac (1980).

After a few years of hard work and searching, Spinell found financing for the sequel, though just as pre-production was to begin, Joe Spinell suddenly passed away in his apartment in Sunnyside, Queens, New York on January 13, 1989, at age 52, due to undetermined causes, still the subject of much speculation.

The main character of the 2001 film "Maniacts" is named after Spinell. The film is also dedicated to him.