With an extremely murky biography that, by his own account, included work as a master of ceremonies at a Las Vegas nightclub, a radio host, and a jewelry magnate, and comparatively little acting experience, Gianni Russo landed the role of Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather (1972) as a result of a screen test.

Since then, Russo has remained a sought-after actor, mainly playing various "mafiosi" and gangsters. He appeared again alongside Marlon Brando in a small role in The Freshman (1990), in which Brando successfully parodied his role as Don Corleone. IMDb mini-biography by: Bob Sorrentino