Joe Pesci

Joseph Frank Pesci (/ˈpɛʃi/ PESH-ee; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor, comedian and singer. Known for portraying tough, volatile characters, in a variety of genres, he is best known for his role as Vincent Gambini in My Cousin Vinny (1992), Harry Lime in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, as Leo Getz in the Lethal Weapon franchise, and for co-starring with Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese films Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), and Casino (1995).\n', ' Pesci won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the psychopathic gangster Tommy DeVito (based on Thomas DeSimone) in Goodfellas; he had been previously nominated for the same award for his role as Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull. Also a comedian, Pesci has starred in a number of other high-profile films, including Easy Money (1983), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Moonwalker (1988), JFK (1991), and A Bronx Tale (1993). He announced his retirement from acting in 1999, and since then he has appeared only occasionally in films, including a cameo appearance in the 2006 spy thriller The Good Shepherd, directed by De Niro, and in the biographical crime film The Irishman. He is also known for his studio album Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You.\n', ' Pesci was born on February 9, 1943, in Newark, New Jersey. His mother, Mary (née Mesce), worked part-time as a barber, and his father, Angelo Pesci, was a forklift driver for General Motors and a bartender. Pesci, of Italian descent, was raised in Belleville, New Jersey, and attended Belleville High School. By the time 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.\n', '