With his dark features and having spent much of his early years in Naples, Italy, Vito Scotti was understandably typecast as Italian waiters, government functionaries, policemen, maitre d's and barbers. When Vito was seven, the Scottis moved back to the U.S. where his mother became a diva in the Italian theatre in New York. It was in that theatre that Scotti developed his gift for farce, which he modeled on the style found in the Commedia dell'Arte. He worked the night club circuit doing pantomime and broke into movies and television during the early 1950s. Vito loved cooking, especially the recipes of his beloved mother and grandmother.
After living in Naples for a few years as a child, Vito returned to the States when he was seven.
Big at playing unsympathetic types such as snobs, loudmouths and bullies, he was known for his resourceful portrayals of various ethnic types. Of Italian heritage, he was seen playing everything from a Mexican bandit and Russian doctor to a Japanese sailor.
Once worked nightclubs as a stand-up magician and mime. On the '60s "The Dick Van Dyke show" he once made a guest appearance as a house painter who performed magic tricks.
In addition to his accomplishments as an actor, he was highly regarded as a chef. Two generations of Hollywood's top names always left his dinner parties raving about the food and wine.
Vito Scotti was the most frequent guest star on "Gilligan's Island", appearing in 4 episodes.
Appeared numerous times in Columbo playing a different role each time. This includes the episode 'Negative Reaction', starring Dick Van Dyke, with whom he had worked before on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the '60s.
Appeared as Nazorine in The Godfather.
Vito got to work with Exotic animal trainer Ralph Helfer's African Lion Zamba twice in 拿破仑与萨曼莎 (1972) and Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977).
