{{Short description|Film and television actor (1923–1995)}} {{more footnotes|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Michael V. Gazzo | image = Cropped_Photo_of_Michael_V._Gazzo.jpg | caption = | birth_name = Michael Vincenzo Gazzo | birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|4|5|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Hillside, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|2|14|1923|4|5|mf=yes}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | resting_place = Westwood Village Memorial Park | occupation = Playwright, actor | years_active = 1953–1995 | spouse = Grace Gazzo (3 children)<ref>{{cite web|last=Brantley |first=Ben |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/24/obituaries/michael-v-gazzo-71-is-dead-playwright-of-hatful-of-rain.html |title=Michael V. Gazzo, 71, Is Dead - Playwright of 'Hatful of Rain' |work=The New York Times |date=February 24, 1995 |accessdate=June 25, 2017}}</ref> | children = Peppi, Michael, Christopher }}
'''Michael Vincenzo Gazzo''' (April 5, 1923 – February 14, 1995) was an American playwright who later in life became a movie and television actor.<ref>{{IMDb name|0311155|section=bio}}</ref> He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974).
==Biography== Gazzo was born on April 5, 1923. He was of Italian ancestry. Gazzo served with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.<ref name="sandboxx">[https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/10-iconic-movie-and-tv-roles-played-by-wwii-veterans/ 10 ICONIC MOVIE AND TV ROLES PLAYED BY WWII VETERANS] www.sandboxx.us. Retrieved December 5, 2021.</ref><ref name="amazon">[https://www.amazon.com/prime-video/actor/Michael-V-Gazzo/nm0311155/ Michael V. Gazzo at] Amazon.com. Retrieved December 5, 2021.</ref><ref name="fold3">[https://www.fold3.com/memorial/14196845/michael-v-gazzo Michael V. Gazzo at] Fold3. Retrieved December 5, 2021.</ref> He was a member of the Actors Studio and later trained actors such as Debra Winger, Henry Silva and Tony Sirico. He wrote ''A Hatful of Rain'', a Broadway play about drug addiction, which ran for 389 performances in 1955 and 1956. It featured Ben Gazzara and Shelley Winters in the two main roles, and was adapted into a movie of the same name by Oscar-winning director Fred Zinnemann in 1957. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Anthony Franciosa). A 1968 made-for-television version (as a filmed play) featured Peter Falk, Sandy Dennis and Michael Parks.<ref>{{IMDb title|0173890| A Hatful of Rain}}</ref> Gazzo's other screen writing credits include the Elvis Presley American musical drama movie ''King Creole'' in 1958.<ref>{{IMDb title|0051818|King Creole}}</ref> Gazzo authored the Broadway play ''The Night Circus'', also featuring Ben Gazzara.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/show/detail/8454/the-night-circus|title=The Night Circus @ John Golden Theatre|website=Playbill|publisher=Playbill, Inc.|accessdate=June 25, 2017}}</ref>
Gazzo was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Frank Pentangeli in ''The Godfather Part II'' but lost to Robert De Niro who played Vito Corleone in the same movie.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Folkart|first1=Burt A.|title=Michael Gazzo; Film and TV Actor, Playwright|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-25-mn-35899-story.html|access-date=February 29, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 25, 1995}}</ref>
===Death=== Gazzo died on February 14, 1995, at age 71 due to complications from a stroke.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brantley|first1=Ben|authorlink1=Ben Brantley|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/24/obituaries/michael-v-gazzo-71-is-dead-playwright-of-hatful-of-rain.html|title=Michael V. Gazzo, 71, Is Dead – Playwright of 'Hatful of Rain'|date=February 24, 1995|work=The New York Times}}</ref> He was buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
==Filmography== {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''On the Waterfront'' (1954) - Bit (uncredited) * ''A Man Called Adam'' (1966) - (uncredited) * ''Out of It'' (1969) - Vinnie's friend * ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'' (1971) - A Black Suit * ''Crazy Joe'' (1974) - Mob Soldier * ''The Godfather Part II'' (1974) - Frank Pentangeli * ''Kojak'' (1975) - Joel Adrian * ''Brinks: The Great Robbery'' (1976) - Mario Russo * ''Ellery Queen'' (Season 1, Episode 20 "The Adventure of Caesar's Last Sleep") (1976) - Benny Franks * ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (Season 2, Episode 12 "Hark, the Sweatkings") (1976) - Angelo DeMora * ''Alice'' (1977) - Gino Tarantella * ''Starsky and Hutch'' (1977) - Joe Durniak * ''Barnaby Jones'' (1977) - Mr. Farinelli * ''Baretta'' (1977) - Rico Giove * ''Black Sunday'' (1977) - Muzi * ''The Feather and Father Gang'' (Season 1, Episode 12 "The Mayan Connection") (1977) - Gutman * ''Columbo'' (Season 7, Episode 2 "Murder Under Glass") (1978) - Vittorio Rossi * ''Fingers'' (1978) - Ben * ''King of the Gypsies'' (1978) - Spiro Giorgio * ''Vega$'' (Season 2, Episode 7 "Dan Tanna Is Dead") (1979) - Cruger Hallow * ''Love and Bullets'' (1979) - Lobo * ''The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' (1979) - Harry the Trainer * ''Beggarman, Thief'' (1979) - Sartene * ''Fantasy Island'' (Season 3, Episode 14 "The Lookalikes/Winemaker") (1979) - Frank Lassiter * ''Taxi'' (1979) - Vince * ''Cuba Crossing'' (1980) - Rossellini * ''Alligator'' (1980) - Chief Clark * ''Border Cop'' (1980) - Chico Suarez * ''Hoodlums'' (1980) - Gus Azziello * ''Sizzle'' (1980) * ''Magnum, P.I.'' (Season 1, Episode 8 "The Ugliest Dog in Hawaii") (1981) - Victor DiGorgio * ''Back Roads'' (1981) - Tazio * ''Body and Soul'' (1981) - Frankie * ''The Winter of Our Discontent'' (1983) - Marullo * ''Sudden Impact'' (1983) - Threlkis (uncredited) * ''Blood Feud'' (1983) - Johnny Masetta * ''Cannonball Run II'' (1984) - Sonny * ''Fear City'' (1984) - Mike * ''Cookie'' (1989) - Carmine * ''Beyond the Ocean'' (1990) * ''Forever'' (1991) * ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Ring of the Musketeers|de|3=Der Ring der Musketiere|lt=Ring of the Musketeers}}'' (1992) * ''Last Action Hero'' (1993) - Torelli * ''L.A. Law'' (1994) (episode "McKenzie, Brackman, Barnum & Bailey") (1994) - Roscoe Zambini * ''Nothing to Lose'' (1994) - Joe (final film role) {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * Bacarella, Michael, ''ItalActors: 101 Years of Italian Actors in U.S. Entertainment'', The National Italian American Foundation{{ISBN missing}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0311155|name=Michael V. Gazzo}} * {{ibdb name|7752}} * {{Find a Grave|2152}} * [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;cc=wiarchives;view=text;rgn=main;didno=uw-whs-us0157an Michael Gazzo] at the University of Wisconsin's [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;view=reslist;subview=standard;didno=uw-whs-audi00339a Actors Studio audio collection]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gazo, Michael}} Category:1923 births Category:1995 deaths Category:People from Hillside, New Jersey Category:American male screenwriters Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American writers of Italian descent Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Category:20th-century American male actors Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century American male writers Category:Screenwriters from New Jersey Category:20th-century American screenwriters Category:Writers from Union County, New Jersey Category:Male actors from Union County, New Jersey