Years active 1994–present Education New York University Role Film director | Name Tony Vitale Children Arabella M Vitale | |
Full Name Anthony Neal Vitale Born May 24, 1964 (age 60) ( 1964-05-24 ) The Bronx, New York, U.S. Occupation Director, screenwriter, producer, author Spouse(s) Lisa C Vitale (2011–present) Movies and TV shows Kiss Me - Guido, Jungle Juice, One Last Ride, Very Mean Men, Some of My Best Friends Similar People Anthony Barrile, Nick Scotti, RJ Knoll, Anthony DeSando, Craig Chester | ||
Detroit native tony vitale sings city s praises
Tony Vitale (born Anthony Vitale) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for the 1997 film Kiss Me, Guido.
Contents
- Detroit native tony vitale sings city s praises
- Early years
- Film Television Career
- Film
- Television
- Writer
- References
Early years
Vitale was born in the Bronx and grew up in a predominately African-American/Hispanic neighborhood. After the death of his father in March, 1978, Vitale began writing short stories and "raps" about life in the Bronx, but then focused his attention on being a DJ. After graduating from Christopher Columbus High School, Vitale graduated from Iona College with a degree in finance and a minor in communications. Interning on Wall Street during his senior year in college, Vitale interviewed for a position for a DJ with Club Med and traveled to villages around the world. One night at a group dinner someone commented on the rapport the Bronx-born Vitale had with the French clientele, including his boss, "It would be great if somebody made a sitcom out of you two," which sparked the idea in Vitale's head for a television show.
Film & Television Career
Whilst working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange including Black Monday the Stock Market Crash of 1987., Vitale studied film at night at New York University. After the death of his mother in 1990, Vitale began working in the film and television industry as a location assistant, eventually working his way up as a second unit director for the opening shot of Robert De Niro’s, A Bronx Tale.
In 1996, Vitale wrote and directed the feature film, Kiss Me, Guido which became an official entry in the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Paramount Pictures to favorable reviews the same year. "Mr. Vitale has made perhaps the most progressive movie of the bunch, one without a chip on its shoulder or a score to settle." Vitale created the sitcom Some of My Best Friends for the CBS Network with co-creator Marc Cherry, executive producer and creator of Desperate Housewives. The series ran for eight episodes and was nominated for multiple television awards.
Vitale continued to work in film and television throughout his career, having produced movies and television shows for CBS, NBC and FOX television, and since 2012, serves as Executive Producer and Director of Programming for the OTT/IPTV network, tastytrade.