Chuck Zito

Chuck Zito
Chuck Zito in West Hollywood, California on April 2, 2013
Born Charles Carmine Zito Jr.
(1953-03-01) March 1, 1953
New York, U.S.
Occupation Actor, boxer, bodyguard, martial artist, stuntman
Years active 1991–present
Spouse(s) Kathy (?–?; divorced)

Charles Carmine Zito Jr. (born March 1, 1953), is an American actor, amateur boxer, martial artist, celebrity bodyguard, stuntman, former boxing trainer and former president of the New York chapter of the Hells Angels.[1]

Early life

Zito was born in New York, the second of three children of Charles Zito Sr. and Gloria Frangione.[2] The son of a professional welterweight boxer, Zito was taught at an early age how to fight and defend himself.[3] At the age of seventeen, Zito dropped out and married his high school sweetheart, Kathy. His involvement with the Hells Angels motorcycle club eventually led to their divorce.[4]

Hells Angels

A motorcycle lover, Zito established the New Rochelle Motorcycle Club which later merged with the Ching-a-Ling Nomads.[5] Zito would later leave the Nomads and join the Hells Angels. In 1984, Zito helped establish the Hells Angels New York Nomad Chapter and became the chapter's president. In 2005, Zito left the Hells Angels, after 25 years, to focus on his acting career.

Career

Following in his father's footsteps, Zito became an amateur boxer and fought in New York Golden Gloves while working manual labor. In 1980, after assisting the bodyguards of actor Robert Conrad at a motorcycle convention, Zito began his own bodyguard agency. Named Charlie's Angels Bodyguard Services, Zito initially provided protection for actress Lorna Luft and later was hired by her half-sister Liza Minnelli.[6] The actress recommended Zito's service to her plethora of celebrity acquaintances, allowing Zito to quickly develop contacts throughout Hollywood.

Parlaying his connection, Zito began a career as a stuntman working on films such as Year of the Dragon, Hudson Hawk, and The Rock. In 1996, after a meeting with producer Tom Fontana, Zito joined the HBO prison drama Oz as mobster Chucky Pancamo. Over the years Zito has alternated with stunt work and acting with credits for stunt work in films like Fifteen Minutes and acting roles in the film This Thing of Ours.

In February 1998, Zito allegedly repeatedly punched Jean-Claude Van Damme at the Scores club in Manhattan, New York.[7]

Zito was seen with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Dwayne Johnson at the Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson pre-fight party on June 8, 2002 at the Memphis Pyramid. In 2003, Zito released his autobiography, Street Justice, co-authored with Joe Layden. In 2006, Zito expanded into radio with the show Chuck Zito's View on Howard Stern's Sirius Satellite Radio station.

In 2010, Zito filed a $5 million lawsuit against the cable network FX, alleging that he had a development meeting with them in 2006, in which he pitched the idea of an outlaw motorcycle group. He alleges that FX blew him off and then stole his idea, which became the FX show Sons of Anarchy.[8] On December 11, 2011, a court judgment was ruled against Zito. Zito appeared in Sons of Anarchy season 5, as Frankie Diamonds. He also appeared in SOA creator Kurt Sutter's Discovery Channel documentary series, Outlaw Empires.

In 2013, Zito competed on Food Network Television's Chopped along with NASCAR's Danica Patrick, NFL star Tiki Barber, and Olympic Champion Natalie Coughlin.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1982 1990: The Bronx Warriors Outlaw Biker
1991 Neon City Bus Attacker
1993 Nowhere to run Prisoner
New York Cop Mafia leader
Carlito's Way Club Bouncer
Love, Cheat & Steal Jake
1994 Jimmy Hollywood Gangster
Bad Blood Toots
Sensation Bartender
Love is a Gun Cop
1995 Red Line Dick
1996 The Juror Frankie
Heaven's Prisoners Tony
The Funeral Zito
Squanderers Jerry
1998 Gia Biker
Scar City Guard
No Code of Conduct Guard
1999 Black & White Chuck
Me and Will Biker
Man on the Moon Tony Clifton / Biker
2000 Table One The Chef
2001 Street Justice Host
2003 This Thing of Ours DeGrazio soldier
2004 Brooklyn Bound Anthony
Coalition Vinnie
2005 Remedy Captain Sallie
Searching for Bobby D Freddy Knuckles
The Signs of the Cross Tony Esposito
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power Buck
Tinsel Town Rubenstein
2009 Under New Management Don DeRossi
2010 13 Ted
2011 The Grasslands Matty
2013 Homefront Danny "T" Turrie
2014 Collection Joe
2015 The Martial Arts Kid Frank
Street Level Carmine
2016 Saturday in the Park Danny V
Female Fight Club Zeke
2017 Cops and Robbers Randy
Blood Circus Dominick
2018 Fury of the Fist and the Golden Fleece FDA Special Agent
Black Wake Sheriff Williams
Vault Joey Bruno post-production
Guitars and Guns Marco post-production
Treasure Hunter: Legend of the White Witch Jorge post-production
Dinosaur Frank LaCarver post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 New York Undercover N/A Episode: "Hubris"
1998-2003 Oz Chucky Pancamo 45 episodes
2000 V.I.P. Mikey 2 episodes
2006 The Young and the Restless Rudy 2 episodes
Law & Order: Criminal Intent Major Case Squad Detective Episode: "Tru Love"
2007 Entourage as himself
Days of Our Lives Harry Jenks 1 episode
2010 How to Make It in America Deli man Episode: "Crisp"
2012 Sons of Anarchy Frankie Diamonds 8 episodes
2018 Paper Empire Big D Espozito
Jersey: The Series Big Al

See also

References

  1. ↑ Thomas Gerbasi (March 25, 2003). "Chuck Zito: Friend of the Game". MaxBoxing. Archived from the original on May 20, 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  2. ↑ Chuck Zito and Joe Layden (2003). Street Justice. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-32021-8. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  3. ↑ Dennis Hamill (January 5, 2003). FOREVER FLEXING HIS REPe. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-32021-8. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  4. ↑ "Street Justice – Google Books". Google.com. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  5. ↑ Street Justice – Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  6. ↑ "A Stuntman Is Ready For a Leap to Stardom". New York Times. August 23, 1998. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  7. ↑ "GATES OF HELL TURN OUT ONE TRUE ANGEL". NY POST. Steve Dunleavy. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "Ex-Hells Angel: 'Sons of Anarchy' Was MY Idea!". TMZ.com. 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2011-10-06.

Further reading

  • Zito, Chuck; Joe Layden (2003). Street Justice. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-32021-8.
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