Tall, androgynous leading man who made his name in several of director Paul Morrissey's collaborations with Andy Warhol.
- Also Credited As:
Joe Catano, Joe D Allesandro, Joe D'Allesandro, Joseph Angelo D Allesandro III, Joseph Angelo D'Allesandro III
- Born:
December 31, 1948 in Pensacola, Florida, USA
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Job Titles:
Actor, Nude model
Family
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Brother: Robert D Allesandro. born c. 1949
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Father: Joseph A D Allesandro Jr. was 20 at time of son s birth
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Mother: Thelma D Allesandro. married at age 14; gave birth to son at age 16; jailed for auto theft for five years c. 1950-55
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Son: Michael D Allesandro. born c. 1966
Significant Others
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Companion: Stefania Cassini. had relationship in the mid-1970s
Milestones
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1967 Appeared in first film, Andy Warhol s The Loves of Ondine
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1968 Starred in Flesh , the first of Paul Morrissey s trilogy; cast as a male hustler
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1970 Portrayed a junkie in Morrissey s Trash
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1972 Rounded out Morrissey s trilogy by playing a former child actor trying for a career as a rock star in Heat
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1974 Moved to Europe and made films primarily in Italy
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1974 Appeared as a servant in Blood for Dracula/Andy Warhol s Dracula , also directed by Morrissey
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1974 First film not for Warhol or Morrissey, The Gardener/Seeds of Evil , directed by James H Kay
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1974 Played the stableboy in Flesh for Frankenstein/Andy Warhol s Frankenstein , helmed by Morrissey
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1975 Cast as a singing mute (with dubbed vocals) in Louis Malle s Black Moon
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1976 Starred opposite Sylvia Kristel in Walerian Borowczyk s La Marge/The Margin/The Streetwalker
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1978 Acted opposite Maria Schneider in Jacques Rivette s Merry Go Round
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1979 Had small supporting role as an actor in Tapage Nocturne , directed by Catherine Breillat
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1984 Appeared in an episode of Miami Vice (NBC)
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1984 Portrayed gangster Lucky Luciano in Francis Ford Coppola s The Cotton Club
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1986 TV series debut as regular on the short-lived syndicated cop drama Fortune Dane
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1987 Played a rival mobster to Ray Sharkey s Sonny Steelgrave in a memorable arc of Wiseguy (CBS)
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1988 Cast as a fictionalized Dutch Schultz in Blake Edwards Sunset
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1990 Played a devout evangelist in John Waters Cry-Baby
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1992 Acted in Tamra Davis Guncrazy (aired on Showtime)
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1992 Filmed cameo appearance as himself in Robert Altman s The Player ; scene cut from released print but restored for the home video release
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1995 Co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg in the direct-to-video release Theodore Rex
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1999 Appeared as himself in the quasi-documentary Beefcake
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1999 Had supporting role of a dumb hitman in The Limey
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As a teenager, stole cars; shot in the knee during one car theft, was sent to reform school; ran away and headed to Florida to live with father
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Cast in The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart ; fired after clashing with an assistant director
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Raised in foster homes in Brooklyn and on Long Island
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Returned to NYC briefly before heading first to Mexico and then to L.A.
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Worked as a nude model, sometimes billed as Joe Catano