Joe Pesci Net Worth

Joe Pesci's Quotes

• [on his good friend and My Cousin Vinny (1992) co-star, the late Fred Gwynne] It takes somebody who's very serious to pull off a character like Herman Munster [from Gwynne's series The Munsters (1964)]. It's not simple to play the goof. Fred was not Herman. He was an intelligent, quiet gentleman.
• [on Raging Bull (1980)] I remember being asked do you think we should shoot in black and white or in color. And I said black and white without any hesitation.
• [on Robert De Niro] We work so well together. It's like breathing in and out. It's so easy for us - we feed off each other.
• [on Martin Scorsese] Marty is probably the best director I've ever worked with and one of the best directors of our generation and previous generations.

Interesting Facts about Joe Pesci

1. Reprised his character from My Cousin Vinny (1992) for his album "Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You" (1998). The single "Yo Cousin Vinny" was a success in some European countries.
2. In the mid-1960s, he recorded an album under the stage name Joe Ritchie titled "Little Joe Sure Can Sing", which flopped.
3. Started out with Joey Dee and The Starliters, working his way around as a waiter and singing and playing guitar in local nightclubs.
4. Director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro tracked down Pesci after seeing him in The Death Collector (1976) because they felt he was perfect for the role of Joey LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980). Before they persuaded him to take the role, Pesci had been on the verge of giving up his faltering acting career.
5. Attended and graduated from Belleville High School in Belleville, New Jersey.
6. The word pesci in Italian means "fish" (plural).
7. Close friends with George Carlin, and mentioned by Carlin in his bit "There is No God".
8. After winning the Oscar for his role as Tom DeVito in the movie Goodfellas (1990), his entire acceptance speech was "It's my privilege. Thank you." When asked why he didn't say more, he said "I really didn't think I was going to win.".
9. Has appeared with Frank Vincent in five films: The Death Collector (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Dear Mr. Wonderful (1982), Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995).
10. Very good friends with Robert De Niro. They appeared together in seven films: Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Goodfellas (1990), A Bronx Tale (1993), Casino (1995), The Good Shepherd (2006) and The Irishman (2019).
11. Sang as Joe Doggs with jazz organ player Joey DeFrancesco. They recorded an album on Concord Records titled "Joey DeFrancesco featuring Joe Doggs, Falling in Love Again" (2003).
12. Has a house in Lavalette, New Jersey. In the 1980s, he established a reputation as a community Little League baseball coach.
13. Was the original choice to play Herman "Fergee" Ferguson in Judge Dredd (1995), which he turned down. The role was given to Rob Schneider, instead.
14. Pesci's performance as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas (1990) is ranked #96 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
15. Childhood friends with Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. Introduced them to Bob Gaudio. Valli, DeVito, Massi and Gaudio became the rock group The Four Seasons.
16. Robert De Niro accidentally broke his rib in a sparring scene in Raging Bull (1980). This shot appears in the film: De Niro hits Pesci in the side, Pesci groans, and there is a quick cut to another angle. The very same rib was broken again in Casino (1995) when a heavy who was holding Joe down, used him as a hassock to get up after a take.
17. According to Maxim magazine, he wrote and directed the "You think I'm funny?" scene from Goodfellas (1990) at director Martin Scorsese's request.
18. The Good Shepherd (2006) was the first movie he had made in eight years.
19. Ended his 9-month engagement to Angie Everhart. The couple had been together for eight years. [April 2008]
20. Was considered for the role of Owen Lift in Throw Momma from the Train (1987), which went to Danny DeVito.