Italian American Heritage Month: Dominic Chianese

A picture of Italian American actor Dominic Chianese as Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II and a picture of him at 92-years-old in 2023. A native New Yorker, Chianese was born in 1931. He graduated from Bronx High School in 1948. After high school, he worked as a bricklayer with his Italian father, while attending night school at Brooklyn College. He first appeared as an actor on stage in 1952 and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1961. Two years later, Chianese started studying under acting teacher Walt Witcover at HB Studios in Manhattan.

He sang and played guitar at restaurants and taverns before he made his film debut in 1972’s Fuzz. Two years later, Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Johnny Ola in The Godfather Part II. Johnny Ola was the bodyguard of Jewish mob boss Hyman Roth, which was loosely based on Meyer Lansky.

Following The Godfather Part II, he appeared in 1979's And Justice For All with his friend Al Pacino. In 1996, he appeared in the made for television film Gotti with Armand Assante. From 1999 to 2007, he played Uncle Junior on The Sopranos. His portrayal of Uncle Junior earned him numerous accolades, including two Emmy Award nominations. He has also appeared in Boardwalk Empire.

In addition to his film and television career, Chianese regularly performs music in NYC restaurants. He has released two CDs with American and Neapolitan songs. Hits in 2000 and Ungrateful Heart in 2003. He also used his singing talents to perform the Neapolitan aria “Core ‘ngrato” on the third season of The Sopranos.