---
name: "Gianni Russo"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gianni-russo"
fi1m_id: "gianni-russo"
imdb_id: "nm0751625"
tmdb_id: 3095
wikidata_id: "Q1622732"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "12 December 1943"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-05T02:40:36.683169+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Gianni Russo

## Identity

Gianni Russo

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gianni-russo
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** gianni-russo
- **IMDb ID:** nm0751625
- **TMDB ID:** 3095
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1622732
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianni_Russo, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1622732, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751625/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3095

Actor. Born 12 December 1943 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 12 December 1943, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1972–2003
- **Also known as:** Louis Giovanni "Gianni" Russo, Louis Giovanni Russo
- **Average Fi1m score:** 70, as actor, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 92 (2), 1990s 42 (1), 2000s 63 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 64 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Crime 4, Drama 3, Comedy 2, Action 1, Adventure 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 14 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,073m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianni_Russo, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1622732, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751625/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3095

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*The Godfather*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md) (93)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Gianni Russo is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Carlo Rizzi in *The Godfather* (1972) and reprised the character in a brief flashback in *The Godfather Part II* (1974).

Born on 12 December 1943 in New York, Russo had little prior acting experience when he secured the part through a screen test. He has appeared in more than 40 films and television productions, frequently cast in roles depicting organised crime figures, including *Super Mario Bros.* (1993), *Any Given Sunday* (1999), *Rush Hour 2* (2001) and *Seabiscuit* (2003).

In 2019 Russo published his memoir *Hollywood Godfather: My Life in the Movies and the Mob*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Seabiscuit* (2003), Fi1m 65, as Alberto Gianini — [page](https://film.one/film/seabiscuit.md)
- *Red Dragon* (2002), Fi1m 64, as Newsie — [page](https://film.one/film/red-dragon.md)
- *Rush Hour 2* (2001), Fi1m 61, as Red Dragon Pit Boss — [page](https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2.md)
- *Super Mario Bros.* (1993), Fi1m 42, as Scapelli — [page](https://film.one/film/super-mario-bros.md)
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Fi1m 92, as Carlo Rizzi — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *The Godfather* (1972), Fi1m 93, as Carlo Rizzi — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md)

## Complete filmography (54)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Ennio* (2022), Producer
- *Con Man* (2018), as Derek Lewis
- *Send No Flowers* (2013), as Johnny Pisano
- *Prison Break* (2005), series, as Smallhouse — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/prison-break.md)
- *After the Sunset* (2004), as Clippers Fan
- *Seabiscuit* (2003), as Alberto Gianini — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/seabiscuit.md)
- *Forbidden Grass* (2002), Director
- *Red Dragon* (2002), as Newsie — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/red-dragon.md)
- *Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Film on Terrence Malick* (2002), Editor
- *Rush Hour 2* (2001), as Red Dragon Pit Boss — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2.md)
- *Harvard Man* (2001), as Andrew Bandolini
- *3000 Miles to Graceland* (2001), as Money Cart Guard
- *The Family Man* (2000), as Nick
- *Rope Art* (2000), Actor
- *Strong Medicine* (2000), series, Actor
- *Any Given Sunday* (1999), as Christina's Advisor
- *Crossing Paths* (1998), as Howard Thomas
- *Pacific Palisades* (1997), series, as Frank Nichols
- *Striptease* (1996), as Willy Rojo
- *Kill Shot* (1995), as Jake Mondello · Writer
- *Super Mario Bros.* (1993), as Scapelli — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/super-mario-bros.md)
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, as Morris Foley
- *The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980* (1992), as Carlo Rizzi
- *Renegade* (1992), series, as Don Carmine Bendetti
- *The Hat Squad* (1992), series, as Fortunata
- *Stay Tuned* (1992), as Guido
- *Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion* (1991), as Marco Sabatini
- *Another You* (1991), as Carlos
- *Silverfox* (1991), as Klaus Gerhardt
- *The Great Pretender* (1991), as Davey Desapio
- *Out for Justice* (1991), as Sammy
- *The Freshman* (1990), as Maitre D’ Gourmet Club
- *Side Out* (1990), as Dick Sydney
- *Max Monroe: Loose Cannon* (1990), series, as Ray Dominick
- *Hardball* (1989), series, Actor
- *Chances Are* (1989), as Anthony Bonino
- *Jake and the Fatman* (1987), series, Actor
- *Wiseguy* (1987), series, Actor
- *Wiseguy: Pilot* (1987), as David 'Dave' Steelgrave
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Tony Rondino
- *Winter Kills* (1979), as Co-Pilot
- *Laserblast* (1978), as Tony Craig
- *Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television* (1977), series, as Carlo Rizzi (uncredited)
- *The Four Deuces* (1975), as Chip Morono - the 'Deuce of Clubs'
- *Lepke* (1975), as Albert Anastasia
- *The Slight* (1975), as Salvatore Mannino (as Luis Vito Russo)
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), as Carlo Rizzi — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Johnny Bongard, Gianni Tedesco — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Russ Barton — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Toma* (1973), series, Actor
- *The Bait* (1973), as Gianni Ruggeri
- *Goodnight, My Love* (1972), as Michael Tarlow
- *The Godfather* (1972), as Carlo Rizzi — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md)
- *7 anniversari*, Producer

## Gallery

- ![Gianni Russo](https://film.one/media/person/30/gallery-9f7b77fa0460.jpg) Gianni Russo — Mad Prodigy Productions, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Gianni_Russo.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather. NYC March '19. (2019)](https://film.one/media/person/30/gallery-b39ea2a1cb9d.jpg) Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather. NYC March '19. (2019) — Greg2600, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Gianni_Russo_%2840443371443%29.jpg/1280px-Gianni_Russo_%2840443371443%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Gianni Russo](https://film.one/media/person/30/gallery-450b1d89665f.jpg) Gianni Russo — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/gianni-russo