Years active 1957–2002 Name Mario Casilli | ||
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Born January 22, 1931 ( 1931-01-22 ) Occupation Celebrity photographer, nudes Education | ||
Mario A. Casilli (January 22, 1931 – April 25, 2002) was an American photographer. Among other photos, he worked for Playboy magazine between 1957 and 1996 and his first photoshoot there was of Jacquelyn Prescott, as Playmate of the Month of September 1957.
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Education
Casilli attended the Cleveland Institute of Art at only 14 years of age.
Career
After his time at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Casilli served in the US Navy. Upon his return, He moved to Hollywood where he worked at Paul Hesse Studios. This is the place where he learned the business of photography. After four years of working at Paul Hesse Studios, Casilli decided to open up his own studio and begin his career as a professional photographer. He had the opportunity to photograph big celebrities such as Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Will Smith, and Halle Berry. Casilli had a unique style which separated him from the rest. His style is said to have been iconic and defined the photography of the 1980s.
From 1962 until 1981 he photographed fifty-seven Playmate pictorials, including Playmates of the Year Linda Gamble, Christa Speck, Jo Collins, Connie Kreski, Claudia Jennings and Dorothy Stratten. He also photographed several covers for Playboy, as well as celebrities such as Valerie Perrine, Victoria Principal, Joan Collins and Mariel Hemingway. In addition to his work with Playboy, Casilli also contributed stills to the films Star 80 (1983) (which was about murdered Playmate Dorothy Stratten) and Nuts (1987).
Casilli also photographed many album covers, including The Judds 1985 album Rockin' with the Rhythm.
In his later years, Casilli taught at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He also continued to shoot photography while continuing to maintain his studio in Southern California.
Publications
Casilli was able to photograph for the following publications:
Death
He died of a long illness in 2002 in Altadena, California.