Chuck Zito | |
|---|---|
 Chuck Zito inWest Hollywood, California, on April 2, 2013 | |
| Born | Charles Alfred Zito Jr.[1] (1953-03-01)March 1, 1953 (age 72) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kathy (?–?; divorced) |
Charles Alfred Zito Jr. (born March 1, 1953) is an American actor, stuntman, celebritybodyguard and formeroutlaw biker who was president of theNew York chapter of theHells Angels.[2]
Zito was a member of the Hells Angels for 25 years and served as vice president of the New York City charter and president of the New York Nomads chapter. After enteringHollywood as a celebrity bodyguard, Zito was a film stuntman before finding a breakout acting role as mobsterChucky "The Enforcer" Pancamo on theHBO television seriesOz (1997–2003), which he played for six seasons. He followed this up with numerous other "tough guy" roles, such as inSons of Anarchy (2012). Zito has also been a ringside boxing reporter, professional wrestling manager, and radio personality.
Zito was born inthe Bronx, New York City, the second of three children of Charles Zito Sr. and Gloria Frangione.[3] His grandparents wereItalian immigrants to the United States.[4] Zito was raised in the Bronx andNew Rochelle.[5] The son of a professionalwelterweight boxer, Zito was taught at an early age how to fight and defend himself.[6] His father boxed under thering name Al LaBarba and fought in 228 professional matches.[7] At the age of seventeen, Zitodropped out ofNew Rochelle High School and married his high school sweetheart, Kathy. He later received his high school equivalency diploma while imprisoned at theFederal Correctional Institution, Petersburg.[8] His involvement with theHells Angels motorcycle club eventually led to their divorce.[9] Zito became arefrigerator mechanic.[10] He also worked as abouncer at Café Central on theUpper West Side ofManhattan.[7][10]
Zito was an amateur boxer for several years.[11] He trained out of the Southside Boys Club inNew Rochelle and Cage Recreation inWhite Plains, and held an amateur boxing record of 36–5.[12][13] Zito had his first boxing match aged 12.[10] At 17, he fought his first of four careerGolden Gloves bouts when he knocked out Joe Pratt at 1:50 of round two of a preliminary bout in the 147 pounds (67 kg) sub-novice division of the 47th annualNew York Golden Gloves, held at theFelt Forum on January 30, 1973.[10][14] Zito then defeated Michael Nesbitt in the tournament's third round at theAudubon Ballroom on February 19, 1973, before losing to Orlando Nieves in the fourth round of the competition at the Felt Forum on February 23, 1973.[15][16] He returned to the Golden Gloves on February 2, 1978, losing to Gaylord Bryant at the Felt Forum in the 160 pounds (73 kg) open division.[17] Zito was later the boxing coach ofMickey Rourke.[18]
He developed friendships withArturo Gatti,Vinny Pazienza andMike Tyson.[2] Zito was seen withCuba Gooding Jr. andDwayne Johnson at theLennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson pre-fight party on June 8, 2002, at theMemphis Pyramid.[2] He first met Gatti in 1996 and accompanied the boxer to the ring for several high-profile fights.[19]
In 2003, Zito began his career as a broadcaster with a role as aringside reporter onMonday Night Fights broadcasts onHBO.[2] He was also a correspondent at theAffliction: Day of Reckoning mixed martial arts event on January 24, 2009.[20][21]
Zito owns adojo, Chuck Zito's Street Survival School, inPelham, New York.[22][23]
A motorcycle enthusiast, Zito established the New Rochelle Motorcycle Club in 1974, which later merged with theBronx-based Ching-a-Ling Nomads.[24][25] As vice president of the Ching-a-Ling Nomads, Zito was arrested on June 14, 1975, along with club president Pedro Lamboy, on charges of harassment and possession of dangerous weapons relating to the alleged harassment of James Hunter, a tenant of a storefront near the Ching-a-Ling Nomads' clubhouse.[26][27] On October 7, 1976, an apartment inNew Rochelle which had been rented to Zito by landlord Arthur Jacobs was targeted in an arson attack two days after the lease was broken due to a dispute between Jacobs and Zito caused by Zito's membership in the Ching-a-Ling Nomads.[28] Zito was also charged with assault after allegedly attacking a police officer with a bar stool during a bar brawl on June 12, 1977.[29]
Zito met Sandy Alexander, a professional boxer who was the president of the New York City chapter of theHells Angels, while they both trained at the Gramercy Gym on East14th Street inManhattan.[11] Zito convinced the membership of the Ching-a-Ling Nomads to become prospective members of the Hells Angels but only he and one other Ching-a-Ling biker joined the Angels.[30] Explaining what inspired him to join the club, Zito said: "I used to watch their movies likeHells Angels on Wheels andHell's Angels '69 as a kid. They were the elite of the elite, the No. 1".[11] His nickname in the Hells Angels was "Charming Chuck".[31]
According to prosecutors, one membership requirement of the Hells Angels' New York City chapter was that prospective members must kill or attempt to kill a target selected by the club as part of an initiation process. Zito allegedly earned his membership in the club by attempting to murder Robert Giangarra, aQueens pizzeria owner and low-levelmobster who had previously shot and injured Hells Angels biker Cortland "Chip" Candow in a Manhattan bar.[32] According to testimony from John Joseph "Pirate" Miller, a Hells Angels member whoturned government witness, Zito and another Hells Angel, Philip "Lightfoot" Kramer, used a remote-controlled device from a model airplane to detonateC-4 explosives attached to a vehicle belonging to Giangarra.[33] On May 9, 1979, Giangarra survived without serious injury when a bomb attached to the undercarriage of aCadillac Eldorado he was driving exploded in the driveway of his home inElmhurst, Queens.[34][35] The police were unable to locate Giangarra afterwards,[32] and Zito was never charged with the bombing.[33] After serving as a club "prospect", he was voted in as a member of the New York City Hells Angels along with Kramer on May 10, 1979.[33][36]
On August 2, 1979, police discovered a stolen pistol, ammunition and brass knuckles in a borrowed car being driven by Zito after he was stopped for speeding inHarrison, New York.[33][37] He pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced inWhite Plains County Court on April 23, 1980, to five years on probation.[38] Zito's other convictions included criminal possession of a controlled substance (Quaaludes), and disorderly conduct.[33] TheFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began monitoring Zito's "meteoric rise" in the Hells Angels and labelled him "a rising star in a dangerous and well-established criminal organization".[33] After attaining the rank of vice president in the New York City charter, Zito assisted in the formation of the Hells Angels New YorkNomads chapter in November 1984 and became the Nomads' founding president.[39] The Nomads chapter, which is based in theHudson Valley,[11] was allegedly formed after some members became frustrated with restrictions on narcotics distribution imposed by senior members of the New York City charter.[40] Zito served as president of the Nomads chapter for ten years.[10]
According to government informants, Zito and another Hells Angels member, Herbert Reynolds "One-Eyed Bert" Kittel, committed an arson on a building inMount Vernon, New York, where Zito and Kittel each maintained apartments, on February 6, 1985. The blaze was extinguished by the fire department, and authorities found bottles, jars and cans of kerosene in the apartments. On February 12, 1985, a second fire completely destroyed the building. An insurance investigation determined that the second fire was also the result of arson and no insurance policies were paid out.[33]
Zito was part of a contingent of 21 American and British Hells Angels who traveled to Japan on April 23, 1985 to assess the suitability of biker club inTokyo for potential membership in the organization.[41][42][43] The Hells Angels ultimately decided against granting a charter to the Japanese bikers.[44][45] On May 2, 1985, 133 Hells Angels members and associates were arrested on racketeering and drug trafficking charges after a series of law enforcementraids in fourteen cities across the United States. The indictments were the culmination ofOperation Roughrider, a three-year FBI investigation into the club.[46] Fifteen of the arrests took place in theNew York metropolitan area, where the New York City chapter headquarters on Manhattan'sLower East Side was raided, and at least oneUzi submachine gun and an undetermined quantity of drugs were seized.[47][48] Zito's home in New Rochelle was also searched by agents of the FBI, theDrug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local police.[49]
A warrant was issued for Zito's arrest on charges of selling 15.8 ounces (450 g) ofmethamphetamine in New York state in November 1984.[50] He and fellow Hells Angel Herbert Kittel surrendered to theUnited States Embassy in Tokyo on July 22, 1985, after they were the subject of a nationwidedragnet by Japanese police at the request of the FBI. On October 14, 1985, theTokyo High Court approved an extradition request by U.S. authorities.[1] After detaining the pair in theTokyo Detention House for four months, the JapaneseMinistry of Justice released Zito and Kittel into the custody ofU.S. Justice Department officials in Tokyo on October 26, 1985.[51] The pair were then extradited on separate commercial flights to New York byU.S. Marshals Service personnel.[52][53]
After being held at theMetropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan for fourteen months, Zito accepted aplea deal from federal prosecutors, pleading guilty to one felony count of drug conspiracy in late 1986, for which he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.[54] His sentence was reduced to seven years' upon appeal in 1988,[33] and he ultimately served six years at nineteen different federal prisons located in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma and Missouri.[39][34] He was released from prison in 1991.[11] Zito has asserted that he was convicted solely on the FBI's claims of possessing a tape of a recorded telephone conversation between him and Kittel discussing a drug deal. He denies that such a conversation ever took place and maintains that he was bodyguarding actorMickey Rourke on the set ofYear of the Dragon inVancouver at the time of the alleged phone call.[55] On thestigma of being a Hells Angel, Zito has said: "I never did a drug in my life. It's ridiculous to judge a group on the actions of a few".[10]
Zito was questioned by police inRockford, Illinois, in June 1994, over the shooting of a motorist who cut into a Hells Angels motorcycle procession the day before the funeral of Lamont "Monte" Mathias, the president of the Hell's Henchmen Motorcycle Club who was killed during a biker war with theOutlaws Motorcycle Club.[31] The motorist, who was shot in the leg, refused to press charges.[56] On December 11, 1994, Zito was among a group of twenty Hells Angels arrested atO'Hare International Airport inChicago by a task force composed of agents from the FBI, theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), theIllinois State Police, and theChicago Police Department Intelligence Unit after an alleged high-speed car chase along theNorthwest Tollway. The contingent, which included senior Hells Angels members from across the country, had been attending a meeting in Rockford to formally mark the club's merger of the Hell's Henchmen.[57] The bikers were under surveillance by the task force as they traveled to O'Hare airport in three rented passenger vans at the conclusion of the trip, when the agents lost sight of one of the vans, resulting in what the task force alleged to be a chase.[58] Zito and the two other drivers of the vans which were carrying the bikers were charged with speeding, while the passengers were charged with disorderly conduct.[57] Police found "an undetermined amount of a white powderly substance" but no weapons upon searching the vehicles.[59] The case was dismissed by a judge, and the Hells Angels sued the Chicago police after hiring prominent defense attorneyRon Kuby. The Hells Angels reached a $250,000 out-of-court settlement with the police, of which Zito received a share of $9,000.[58]
On December 15, 2001, Zito was arrested by theConnecticut State Police and charged with first-degree criminal trespass after refusing to remove his Hells Angels "colors" at the request of security staff while attending theJohn Ruiz vs. Evander Holyfield III boxing match at theFoxwoods Resort Casino inMashantucket, Connecticut. Zito stated his intention to sue the casino for discrimination, and said: "If a guy walks in here with aYankees jacket, are you going to make him take it off? This is America, this isn't Russia".[60]
On February 23, 2002, Zito was present at the Hellraiser Ball, a tattoo and motorcycle trade exposition inPlainview, New York, sponsored by theLong Island chapter of the Hells Angels, which was ambushed by dozens of members of the rivalPagan's Motorcycle Club, resulting in one biker being killed and at least ten injured.[61] A Hells Angel was charged with second-degree murder and 73 Pagan members were indicted on federal racketeering charges in the aftermath of the incident.[62]
Zito was a regular patron of theScores strip club in Manhattan while the club was controlled by theGambino crime family.[63] According to the Justice Department, the Hells Angels in New York have associated in criminality with the Gambino family.[64] Zito attended the funeral of Gambino bossJohn Gotti inQueens on June 14, 2002. He declined to comment when he was approached by reporters after the wake.[65] Zito had first met Gotti while they were incarcerated together at MCC in 1986.[66]
In 2004, Zito left the Hells Angels, after 25 years of membership in the club, to focus on his acting career.[67] He resigned from the club "in good standing", an option reportedly extended only to the Hells Angels' most respected members.[10]
Following in his father's footsteps, Zito became an amateur boxer and fought inNew York Golden Gloves while working manual labor. In 1979, after assisting the bodyguards of actorRobert Conrad at a motorcycle convention at theNew York Coliseum, Zito began his own bodyguard agency, Charlie's Angels Bodyguard Service.[7] Zito initially provided protection for actressLorna Luft and later was hired by her half-sisterLiza Minnelli.[68] The actress recommended Zito's service to her plethora of celebrity acquaintances, allowing Zito to quickly develop contacts throughoutHollywood. His other clients includedMuhammad Ali,[2]Charles Bronson,[7]Michael Jackson,[7]Sean Penn,[11]Chita Rivera,[7]Eric Roberts,[7]Mickey Rourke,[7]Charlie Sheen,[10] andSylvester Stallone.[7] Zito's brother-in-law was a policeman, which allowed him to hire moonlighting police officers to bodyguard celebrities at public events which required additional manpower, such as award shows.[7]
In 1979, Zito and 18 other members of the New York City Hells Angels chapter were hired to appear in the filmDead Ringer, starringMeat Loaf andCher. The film was never released due to litigation.[7] Parlaying his connection with Mickey Rourke, Zito began a career as astuntman in 1983 when he acted as Rourke'sstunt double in the filmYear of the Dragon.[7] He later worked on over 50 films such asNowhere to Run,The Specialist,True Lies,Die Hard with a Vengeance,Heat,Eraser,The Juror andThe Rock.[7][11] Zito acted asstunt coordinator for the first time onSanta with Muscles.[7] He then also began landing small acting roles in films, includingHeaven's Prisoners,No Code of Conduct andGia.[7] In 1996, after a meeting with producerTom Fontana, Zito joined theHBO prison dramaOz as mobsterChucky Pancamo.[10][11] He was a cast member until the show ended in 2003, aftersix seasons.[10][69]
In 1997, Zito allegedly knocked gossip columnistA. J. Benza unconscious at theScores strip club in New York after Benza attributed a false rumor to him in his column in theDaily News.[7] Zito is then purported to have punchedJean-Claude Van Damme, who had previously been a bodyguarding client of his, in another incident at Scores on February 5, 1998.[70] Recounting the incident in his autobiography, Zito claims that he suffered a broken hand as a result of striking Van Damme numerous times after Van Damme had told a bouncer at the club that Zito had "no heart" and the bouncer relayed Van Damme's comments to Zito.[71] He reportedly stood over a prone Van Damme shouting: "This ain't the movies! This is the street, and I own the street!".[69] He later added: "If I knew it would have gotten me so much positive publicity, I would have knocked him out 10 years earlier."[69] Zito is also reputed to have delivered two open-handed slaps to the face of actorGary Busey in a similar incident.[10]
Owing to his "tough guy" image, Zito had a short role as aprofessional wrestlingmanager inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).[72] He appeared on the January 11, 1999 edition ofWCW Monday Nitro inKnoxville, Tennessee accompanyingHollywood Hulk Hogan and theNew World Order (nWo) to the ring alongside 17 other members of the Hells Angels from New York, Kentucky, Illinois and North Carolina.[73][74] In 2002, Zito released his autobiography,Street Justice, co-authored with Joe Layden.[10] He released a self-defense and dieting video,Chuck Zito's Street Survival System, in 2005.[10] Zito appeared inCarlito's Way: Rise to Power the same year.[10] In 2006, he expanded into radio with the showChuck Zito's View onHoward Stern'sSirius Satellite Radio station.[5] He also hostedChuck Zito's Italian Bad Boy Hour onWVOX.[75]
In 2010, Zito filed a $5 million lawsuit against the cable networkFX, alleging that he had a development meeting with them in 2006, in which he pitched the idea of an outlaw motorcycle group. He alleges that FX blew him off and then stole his idea, which became the FX showSons of Anarchy.[76] On December 11, 2011, a court judgment was ruled against Zito. Zito appeared inSons of Anarchy season 5, as Frankie Diamonds. He also appeared inSOA creatorKurt Sutter'sDiscovery Channel documentary series,Outlaw Empires.[77]
Zito has a daughter, Lisa, (who is anentertainment lawyer forCondé Nast inManhattan)[11][69] with his ex-wife Kathy.[9] He is asupporter ofDonald Trump.[78][79]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Dead Ringer | Biker | |
| 1990: The Bronx Warriors | Outlaw Biker | Uncredited | |
| 1984 | Streets of Fire | Bombers Gang Member | Uncredited |
| 1985 | Year of the Dragon | Cab Driver/Cop | Uncredited |
| 1991 | Neon City | Bus Attacker | |
| 1993 | Nowhere to Run | Prisoner | |
| New York Cop | Mafia Leader | ||
| Carlito's Way | Club Bouncer | ||
| Love, Cheat & Steal | Jake | ||
| 1994 | Jimmy Hollywood | Gangster | |
| Bad Blood | "Toots" | ||
| Sensation | The Bartender | ||
| Love is a Gun | Cop | ||
| 1995 | Red Line | Dick | |
| 1996 | The Juror | Frankie | |
| Heaven's Prisoners | Tony | ||
| The Funeral | Zito | ||
| Squanderers | Jerry | ||
| 1998 | Gia | Biker | |
| Scar City | Guard | ||
| No Code of Conduct | Guard | ||
| 1999 | Black & White | Chuck | |
| Me and Will | Biker | ||
| Man on the Moon | Tony Clifton / Biker | ||
| 2000 | Table One | The Chef | |
| 2001 | Street Justice | The Host | |
| 2003 | This Thing of Ours | DeGrazio Soldier | |
| 2004 | Brooklyn Bound | Anthony | |
| Coalition | Vinnie | ||
| 2005 | Remedy | Captain Sallie | |
| Searching for Bobby D | Freddy "Knuckles" | ||
| The Signs of the Cross | Tony Esposito | ||
| Carlito's Way: Rise to Power | "Buck" | ||
| Tinsel Town | Rubenstein | ||
| 2009 | Under New Management | Don DeRossi | |
| 2010 | 13 | Ted | |
| 2011 | The Grasslands | Matty | |
| 2013 | Homefront | Danny "Danny T" Turrie | |
| 2014 | Collection | Joe | |
| 2015 | The Martial Arts Kid | Frank | |
| Street Level | Carmine | ||
| 2016 | Saturday in the Park | Danny "Danny V" | |
| Female Fight Club | Zeke | ||
| 2017 | Cops and Robbers | Randy | |
| Blood Circus | Dominick | ||
| 2018 | Fury of the Fist and the Golden Fleece | FDA Special Agent | |
| Black Wake | Sheriff Williams | ||
| King of Newark 2 | Big Al | ||
| Treasure Hunter: Legend of the White Witch | Jorge | ||
| Honor Amongst Men | Frank LaCarver | ||
| Father and Father | Udo | Short film | |
| 2019 | Vault | Joey Bruno | |
| 2020 | Mott Haven | Ray Pizzalongo | |
| 2022 | Demon Pit | Biker | |
| 2023 | The Weapon | Lemmy | |
| Phoenix | Bullet |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | New York Undercover | Unknown | Episode: "Hubris" |
| 1998–2003 | Oz | Chucky "The Enforcer" Pancamo | 45 episodes |
| 2000 | V.I.P. | Mikey | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | The Young and the Restless | Rudy | 2 episodes |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Major Case Squad Detective | Episode: "Tru Love" | |
| 2007 | Entourage | Himself | Episode: "Malibooty" |
| Days of Our Lives | Harry Jenks | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | How to Make It in America | Deli Man | Episode: "Crisp" |
| 2012 | Sons of Anarchy | Frankie "Diamonds" | 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Paper Empire | "Big D" Espozito | |
| Jersey: The Series | "Big Al" | ||
| 2021 | Gravesend | Carmine | Episode: "Miami Nights" |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
