Joe Pesci Joe Pesci Joseph Frank Pesci ( , ; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor, comedian and singer. Known for portraying tough, volatile characters, in a variety of genres, he is best known for his role as Vincent Gambini in "My Cousin Vinny" (1992), Harry Lime in "Home Alone" and "", as Leo Getz in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise, and for co-starring with Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese films "Raging Bull" (1980), "Goodfellas" (1990), and "Casino" (1995). Pesci won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the psychopathic gangster Tommy DeVito (based on
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro Scorsese's semi-autobiographical "J. R. trilogy", which also would have included his later film, "Mean Streets". Scorsese had impressed many with the film and made friends with Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis, known as the influential "movie brats" of the 1970s. It was De Palma who introduced Scorsese to the young actor Robert De Niro. De Niro had known De Palma for several years previously, and his first film role in collaboration with De Palma materialized in 1963 at the age of 20, when he appeared in "The Wedding Party". However, the film