Joe Viterelli

Acting

Joe Viterelli

Born 1937-03-10 · New York, USA

Joseph "Joe" Viterelli (March 10, 1937 – January 28, 2004) was an Italian American actor known for his mafioso-orientated character roles. Joe Viterelli was born to Italian immigrants in Bronx, New York. Before Viterelli became an actor, he was a successful businessman in New York City. He had befriended director Leo Penn (actor Sean Penn's father), who initially tried but failed to persuade Viterelli to pursue acting because of his unique and typically Italian looks. Some years later, Sean Penn approached Viterelli and asked him to try out for a part as a favor: Viterelli did and went on to appear in State of Grace and then in over 40 movies. Joe Viterelli became an icon of Mafia-Movies. Viterelli died on January 28, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada due to a severe stomach hemorrhage, a complication of just-completed heart surgery. He was 66 years old. His last role was as a mobster in a 2004 Super Bowl ad for Staples, Inc. and his last movie role was as Jelly in Harold Ramis’ Analyze That.

Acting credits

The Firm poster
6.7

Mitch McDeere is a young man with a promising future in Law. About to sit his Bar exam, he is approached by 'The Firm' and made an offer he doesn't refuse. Seduced by the money and gifts showered on him, he is totally oblivious to the more sinister side of his company. Then, two Associates are murdered. The FBI contact him, asking him for information and suddenly his life is ruined. He has a choice - work with the FBI, or stay with the Firm. Either way he will lose his life as he knows it. Mitch figures the only way out is to follow his own plan...

The Firm

1993

Eraser poster
6.1

John "The Eraser" Kruger is the top gun in the US Marshall Witness Protection Program; he protects witnesses by erasing their pasts. His latest assignment is whistle-blower Dr. Lee Cullen, who has evidence that her employer, a major arms corporation, is entangled in a conspiracy involving a high-tech railgun, but there is danger lurking closer to home for Kruger, from within his own department.

Eraser

1996

Shallow Hal poster
6.2

After taking his dying father's advice, Hal dates only the embodiments of female physical perfection. But that all changes after Hal has an unexpected run-in with self-help guru Tony Robbins. Intrigued by Hal's shallowness, Robbins hypnotizes him into seeing the beauty that exists even in the least physically appealing women. Hal soon falls for Rosemary, but he doesn't realize that his gorgeous girlfriend is actually a 300-pound-not-so-hottie.

Shallow Hal

2001

Analyze This poster
6.5

Countless wiseguy films are spoofed in this film that centers on the neuroses and angst of a powerful Mafia racketeer who suffers from panic attacks. When Paul Vitti needs help dealing with his role in the "family," unlucky shrink Dr. Ben Sobel is given just days to resolve Vitti's emotional crisis and turn him into a happy, well-adjusted gangster.

Analyze This

1999

The Crossing Guard poster
6.0

Unable to move on from the loss of his daughter, Freddy, now a shell of the person he was before, swears to kill the man responsible for her death.

The Crossing Guard

1995

Analyze That poster
5.8

The mafia's Paul Vitti is back in prison and will need some serious counseling when he gets out. Naturally, he returns to his analyst Dr. Ben Sobel for help and finds that Sobel needs some serious help himself as he has inherited the family practice, as well as an excess stock of stress.

Analyze That

2002

State of Grace poster
7.0

Hell's Kitchen, New York. Terry Noonan returns home after a ten-year absence. He soon reconnects with Jackie, a childhood friend and member of the Irish mob, and rekindles his love affair with Jackie's sister Kathleen.

State of Grace

1990

Mobsters poster
6.3

The story of a group of friends in turn of the century New York, from their early days as street hoods to their rise in the world of organized crime...

Mobsters

1991

Bullets Over Broadway poster
7.1

After young playwright, David Shayne obtains funding for his play from gangster Nick Valenti, Nick's girlfriend Olive miraculously lands the role of a psychiatrist—but not only is she a bimbo who could never pass for a psychiatrist—she's a dreadful actress. David puts up with the leading man who is a compulsive eater, the grand dame who wants her part jazzed up, and Olive's interfering hitman/bodyguard—but, eventually he must decide whether art or life is more important.

Bullets Over Broadway

1994

Serving Sara poster
5.4

When Sara is served divorce papers while she is in New York, she is stunned. Not about to lose the fortune she amassed with her self-serving Texan husband, she makes an offer to her process server, Joe, that sets them off on a wild trip across the country.

Serving Sara

2002

Mickey Blue Eyes poster
5.7

An English auctioneer proposes to the daughter of a mafia kingpin, only to realize that certain "favors" would be asked of him.

Mickey Blue Eyes

1999

Jane Austen's Mafia! poster
5.5

After growing up poor in Salmonella, Vincenzo Cortino installs himself as the preeminent, if bumbling, Mafia don of the New World. But now he must pass on power to one of his two sons: either level-headed veteran Anthony or vituperative loose cannon Joey.

Jane Austen's Mafia!

1998

Out to Sea poster
5.8

Care-free Charlie cons his widower brother-in-law Herb into an expenses-paid luxury cruise in search of rich, lonely ladies. The catch is that they are required to be dance hosts! With a tyrannical cruise director, and the luscious Liz and lovely Vivian, our heroes have lots of mis-adventures before they finally return to port.

Out to Sea

1997

See Spot Run poster
6.1

A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.

See Spot Run

2001

Heaven's Prisoners poster
5.3

A hardened New Orleans cop, Dave Robicheaux, finally tosses in the badge and settles into life on the bayou with his wife. But a bizarre plane crash draws him back into the fray when his family is viciously threatened.

Heaven's Prisoners

1996

Looking For Lola poster
5.4

Looking for Lola is a comical look at the world of relationships and highlights just how far we will go to impress that special someone... Mike (Mark Kassen) has moved to L.A. with dreams of being a writer. In order to keep his parents satisfied, he lies to them, telling of his instant success and wealth as an author. Lola (Ara Celi) has dreams of being a dancer; however her illegal status in the country has left her looking after her sleazy boss' mansion. the hilarity begins after the two meet. Both weave an intricate set of lies, painting a picture of success and wealth, in an attempt to woo the other. However, when their parents decide to visit them in California, it becomes extremely challenging to keep the comical facade alive!

Looking For Lola

1997

American Strays poster
5.8

Somewhere on the fringe of society, ten dangerous strangers are on a road to Red's Desert Oasis Diner. Packing more fire power than the LA police force, two hitmen, two hoods, two outlaws, and a mixed bag of other quirky characters hilariously converge for the showdown of a lifetime.

American Strays

1996

Ruby poster
5.5

Fact and fiction are combined in this story about Jack Ruby and a stripper, Candy Cane, and how they become involved in a conspiracy to kill J.F.K.

Ruby

1992

Black Rose of Harlem poster
4.3

A tragic love story set against the turbulent backdrop of the 1920's Chicago jazz clubs. Georgia, a beautiful black singer catches the eye of mobster Johnny Varona. But Johnny is betrothed to the daughter of mob boss Costanza, a man you don't say no to... and live! Can Johnny and Georgia find a way to fulfill their love -and- stay alive? Or will the mob prove to be an insurmountable force.

Black Rose of Harlem

1996

Hitman's Run poster
4.9

A former mob hitman, now in witness protection, is forced to come out of retirement when his family is threatened by his cohorts. He teams up with a skateboarding kid, who has a computer disk that the mob wants to get their hands on that has a list of new names for individuals in the FBI witness protection program. The list includes his dad, who separated from his mother years before and hadn't been seen since.

Hitman's Run

1999

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

The Making of a Mobster: 'Mickey Blue Eyes'

1999

In the Shadow of a Killer poster
4.5

Courtroom drama involving the mafia inspired by true events.

In the Shadow of a Killer

1992

Facade poster
3.9

It should have been a simple murder. But a botched job, an old flame, and too many loose ends can spell just one thing for businessman Colin Wentworth: chaos!

Facade

1999

What She Doesn't Know poster
6.5

An idealistic law school graduate comes to work in the New York D.A.'s office. Her first case leads her straight to her father, a veteran New York cop who may be involved in corruption.

What She Doesn't Know

1992