10 “Italians” that are Household Names

These are people of Italian decent that would have been or are recognized pretty much anywhere on earth.

*

Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren born Sofia Villani Scicolone is quite possibly the most recognizable Italian of all time  

Aside from an Academy Award, she has won a Grammy Award, five special Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, a Laurel Award, and the Honorary Academy Award in 1991.

In 1995, she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievements, one of many such awards.

Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra born in Hoboken New Jersey to Italian Immigrants was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. Sinatra’s music is considered to be “Timeless”. 

He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. 

Dean Martin

Dean Paul Martin born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio  was an American singer, actor, comedian, and film producer.

One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Dean was nicknamed the “King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian operatic tenor who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most loved and commercially successful tenors of all time.

He gained worldwide fame for his engaging personality, the brilliance and beauty of his vocal tone—especially into the upper register—and eventually established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century.

Al Pacino

Alfredo James “Al” Pacino born in East Harlem, New York has often been referred to as “The Greatest Actor of All Time.” 

Al has had a career spanning more than fifty years, during which time he has received an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award from theAmerican Film Institute, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the National Medal of Arts.

Al Pacino is also one of few performers to have won a competitive Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony Award, dubbed the “Triple Crown of Acting”.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Gardenzio “Sly” Stallone, raised in Philadelphia is best known for his Hollywood action roles, particularly as boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo. 

Stallone’s film Rocky was inducted into the National Film Registry as well as having its film props placed in the Smithsonian Museum.

 On December 7th, 2010 Sylvester Stallone was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the non-participant category.

Joe Pesci

Joseph Frank “Joe” Pesci born in Newark New Jersey to Italian parents Angelo and Mary Pesci

By the time Joe Pesci was five years old, he was appearing in plays in New York. 

At age 10, he was a regular on a television variety show called Startime Kids which also featured Connie Francis.

Robert DiNero

Born in Greenwich Village Robert DiNero is one of the most famous actors of our day. 

His Italian great-grandparents, Giovanni De Niro and Angelina Mercurio, emigrated from Ferrazzano, Molise. His paternal grandmother, Helen O’Reilly, was the granddaughter of Irish immigrants.

Andrea Bocelli

With five million units sold worldwide, his album entitled Sacred Arias became the biggest-selling classical crossover album by a solo artist of all time.

And with over twenty million copies sold worldwide, his 1997 pop album Romanza became the best-selling album by an Italian artist of any genre in history.

Jon Bon Jovi

John Francis Bongiovi, Jr. known as Jon Bon Jovi, ranked number fifty on the list of Billboard magazine’s “Power 100”, a ranking of “The Most Powerful and Influential People In The Music Business”. 

In 1996, People magazine named him as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People In The World”.

In 2000, the same magazine named him as the “Sexiest Rock Star” and he was also placed at number thirteen on VH1’s “100 Sexiest Artists”.

Leonardo di Caprio

Since the 2000s, Leonardo DiCaprio has received critical acclaim for his work in a wide range of film genres.

He is part Italian and part German/Russian

DiCaprio’s parents met while attending college and subsequently moved to Los Angeles. He was named Leonardo because his pregnant mother was looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting in a museum in Italy when DiCaprio first kicked.

His father’s family is from the Naples area.

Lady Gaga

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born on March 28, 1986 on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, to an Italian American Catholic family.

Despite her affluent upbringing on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she says that her parents “both came from lower-class families, so we’ve worked for everything—my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father.

Everybody Loves Italian