Danny Aiello (1933-2019) was an American actor of Italian descent who came to acting in his forties with no formal training. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Sal, the Brooklyn pizzeria owner, in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989). Over a five-decade career he appeared in more than 70 films, including The Godfather Part II, Moonstruck, and Léon.
Danny Aiello died on December 12, 2019, at the age of 86 in a hospital in New Jersey after a short illness.
Director Spike Lee paid tribute to Aiello on social media and recalled their collaborative work on the film Do the Right Thing.
In June 2019, Aiello participated in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the premiere of the film Do the Right Thing in Brooklyn alongside Spike Lee.
Aiello was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Performing Arts category, class 2019-2020.
In 2014, Aiello published his autobiography I Only Know Who I Am When I Am Somebody Else, in which he described his journey from the streets of New York to Hollywood.
