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Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri was born on May 15, 1952, in the Bronx, one of the toughest neighborhoods in New York. It was an unlikely start for someone who would go on to become a singer, playwright, director, screenwriter and Academy Award nominated actor.
He began as a lead singer for his band, "Razzamachazz." "I worked a lot of those wiseguy clubs. Back then I had really long hair, if anybody can believe that. I worked this club once, we got booked in this wise guy place, but we played music more like Led Zeppelin and stuff like that. So we get to the gig, we walk in, we've got jeans on, you know ripped T-shirts, the boss looks at us and goes, "All right but listen you guys gotta go change." We said, "Change? This is it, this is the way we go on stage." He went [looks angry] We were late, it was the last minute, he says, "All right just play something." We get on-stage and everybody's sitting there with diamond pinkie rings, all dressed up. And the first song we do is a song called "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin. It starts off, [sings beginning of rock song]. Well the guy started screaming. We got four bars off, he came over pulled all the plugs out. Threw us right out. I mean we played four bars we got fired. We were so aggravated... we were loading the truck, I closed the door of the truck right on the guitar players hand. He starts screaming, yelling "my fingers are broke." Now I have to go back out in to the place, we wanna call an ambulance or something. We go back in the place and he says "Didn't I tell you guys you were fired? Get out!" Throws us back out again. It was a nightmare. We got the guy and took him to the hospital, it was one of those insane stories." Chazz on "Later," NBC
He also began paying his dues as an actor in small parts in film, TV and off-Broadway shows. After struggling for years he moved to LA in 1986. But the leading roles still eluded him. By 1990 he was frustrated with bit parts, usually gangsters, so he decided if no one was going to give him a juicy role he would write one himself. "I knew I could write, but I knew I was
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