Mine is Cristoforo Colombo or, as you call him, Christopher Columbus.

Oh, and as for the Italian Americans I got more than one.

Al Pacino (too easy )
Robert DeNiro
John Travolta
Silvester Stallone

Martin Scorsese
Robert DeNiro
Al PAcino
Danny Aiello
Alan Alda
Federico Fellini
Anne Bancroft [real last-name is Italiano, of all things]
Monica Bellucci
Sofia Loren
Claudia Cardinale
Tony Bennett
Roberto Benigni
Jon Bon Jovi
Ronnie James Dio
Sonny Bono
Lorraine Bracco
Frank Capra
Quentin Tarantino
Richard S. Castellano
Perry Como
Francis Ford Coppola
Bobby Darin
Dino De Laurentiis
Beverly D'Angelo
Leonardo DiCaprio
Joe DiMaggio
James Gandolfini
Edie Falco
Alicia Keys
Marisa Tomei
Bruce Sprigsteen

You can find more here.
http://www.sicilianculture.com/people/index.htm

who are they?


Is he Italian? Really?

Ditto.

Mario and Luigi.

It's a me. Mario.

Frank Sinatra.

EVERYBODY else is secondary.

Hey Vercetti,

Is it my imagination or anytime that a thread asks for a favorite you always post a large number of people, films, songs, whatever Do you have trouble with choices? (Just pullin' yer leg)

Dean Martin
Sopia Loren

Frank Sinatra, Sly Stallone, Al Pacino

Honorable mention:

Sophia Loren (She looks better now than ever IMHO)

Mario Lanza (Not that I own any of his music, but more nostalgic for me. I have memories of his music while growing up. )

I always liked Jack Scalia too.

TIS

Topo Gigio, everyone's favorite Italian mouse.

DO YOU KNOW TOPO GIGIO?????????
One of my childhood myths???

gimme five, sister!!

Hey is Topo Gigio!

Mexican kids grew up watching him and listening to his songs. My cousins loved him.

Afew I can think of at the moment:

Al Pacino
Robert de Niro
Martin Scorsese
Sergio Leone
FF Coppola
Joe Pesci
Claudia Cardinale
Sophia Loren

Except for Pacino in no order

BTW: Alicia Keys is Italian

Well, Lavi, just some from the top of my head.

AL PACINO (He is always at the top of my head, anyway )

Then...
Dante
Petrarca
Cellini
Brunelleschi
Pisano
Boticelli
Perugino

OK, this way I'll never end. I'm restricting myself to musicians.

Monteverdi
Frescobaldi
Vivaldi
Verdi
Bellini (Sicilian BTW )
Rossini
Puccini

Also,
Ferruccio Busoni,
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
and maestro Claudio Abbado.
Katia Ricciarelli and all that army of singers.

OK for now?

Oh, and Mario Puzo!!!

All Italian Renaisance painters from Duccio to Pontormo.
Verdi
Pucini
Rossini

Sorry, I missed the mention of favorites. O'll post mine later.

who are they?

Ronnie James Dio - Replaced Ozzy Osbourne on Black Sabbath and soon formed his own band called "Dio." He began the Horns gesture seen in rock concerts. He took it from his Italian grandmother who used the mano cornuto gesture.

Edie Falco - Plays Gandolfini's wife on The Sopranos, Carmella.

Alicia Keys - She's an R&B [i think] pop artist who plays the piano. It's surprising to me since she looks more black.

DV, I'm surprised you didn't include Sergio Leone!

I was just posting a few from the list, I got bored.

Let's not forget everyone's favorite Priest:

TIS

Enzo Ferrari

Alessandro Del Piero
Luca Toni
Cicci Totti
Pippo Inzaghi

Vito Cascio-Ferro
Calo Vizzini

Berlusconi

Valentino Rossi

Alessandro Pettachi
Paolo Bettini

Julius Caesar
Augustus

Of course, TIS!! Who could forget Father Sarducci?

Well, in the words of my grandfather, "Italians are excellent at everything." I totally agree. But here's what they're best at, IMO-- no one, not even the French, do fashion like the Italians. Well, design in general, but fashion in particular. Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Gucci, Sergio Rossi, Fendi, Ferragamo, Missoni, Pucci, Valentino, Gianfranco Ferre, Moschino, Cavalli, etc etc etc. You buy any of this stuff, and you're paying for more than "just the name", you know? They're actually worth the money, because it's such good design and such good quality. You can put on a plain white t-shirt by Armani, and feel like a million bucks because it just looks so damn good. I'm not knocking YSL, Dior, and Chanel, but probably 75% of my wardrobe is Italian. So I'd say the designers are my favorite Italian celebrities... they make stuff you can actually use, as opposed to just the entertainment the others provide.

Zia, I have to agree with you there. When I'm in Italy, I LOVE buying clothes. Their clothes have a certain flair, and it's obvious that they get such a joy wearing them. As Americans, we are complete pigs when it comes to fashion(have you seen some of the people in the supermarket??). We consider it a CHORE to get dressed up. An Italian wouldn't be seen dead in some of the things we venture outside wearing. And the men dress even better than the women in some cases.

Lavinia - What do you think of Patrizio Buanne? He's gained some decent popularity over here (though still relatively unknown). And my mum is in love with him. I really do like his latest song - a cover of Dean Martin's Amore.

Another thought, Lavi - Tonino Guerra. A very interesting man with an interesting garden.
He's here now, btw, presenting his new book.

I forgot to mention Giovanni Trapatonni, I love that guy He had a press conference in Germany when he was the coach of Bayern Munich, he couldnt speak that well German so that speech has became so famous over here, people use phrases in everydays life. That guy has temper

Not to mention all the other great Italian Soccer Players, especially Nesta.

Are you a fan of Calcio?
Who do you think will win the Scudetto this year?

Well, JM, of course I agree with you list (how couln't I? )..but Katia Ricciarelli???? Please....please....NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I understand now why I did not know who this gentleman was! :p

HAHAHAHA!!!! I know what press conference you are referring to, Aziatic!!! Our TV channels aired it a lot of time because he was SOOOOO funny talking German and especially because he was so angry and at a certain point he screamed STRUNZ! mentioning a German player, but the word in Italian is very similar to a very bad word....It was really a lot of fun!!

the poet? He gained a lot of popularity with a recent TV spot. He said that the tower of Pisa never collapsed because it is optimistic! Ok, he's a poet and can afford saying anything, but this was a little...TOO MUCH!!!