Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlo Fiorletta

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

I grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York, raised by Lucia my Teacher Mom and Ali my Electrical Engineer Dad. I was the oldest child, a sister and two brothers followed. My sister and I were. My dad did well professionally in the 1960s.
The space program and the Vietnam War run my memory spectrum from positive to negative. In the 1970s the space program was over, Dad was laid off and teachers went on strike. I recall mom supervising my dumpster dive outside the market to supplement the family food she paid for. My fathers mother passed, Dad drove me Sundays to visit his father, Nonno, Italian for grandfather, I learned Italian by conversation and books My job was to cut Nonno’s hair and shave him while Dad got some food for the week and cook.

We were raised Catholic. My parents did offer to pay for piano lessons. My sister. and I got into it early and for years. My piano teacher was Jewish, I learned when picking out a holiday gift. The 1960s ended with a World Series and my first baseball glove. I recall a lot of extracurricular reading, sports and drama. My parents took us to some plays. I remember my first and maybe only Broadway play as a kid was from the back row of seeing Ether Merman in “Hello Dolly.” I did well in school. I remember acting in a couple of plays, as a living History character in 4th grade, and Newspaper Editor in a 6th grade play about civil rights.

I was able to skip 7th grade in Junior High School thanks to high reading and Math scores. Many of my school mates progressed that way. I went to Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, no friends got in, but my sister started at Hunter the same year so we rode the subway into Manhattan together..

I made new friends in High School. Everyone was smart. I wanted to quite after a term, but my Dad convinced me to try one more term. I did better each term after that. I went out for sports but made no teams. I did get in better physical shape. I started at Queens College. The Lacrosse Team accepted my as a substitute and I still have friends from that team. My majors progressed from Chemistry (my high school best subject) finally with Math.

I worked in offices through my first marriage, my 20s into mid-30s. As the marriage failed, I started taking classes in stand up comedy, I did well at that, invited to participate in contests. My memorization was good, Monologues and scene studies were fun. I got into an Interactive murder Mystery troupe and a couple of Repertory Theater groups.
I was accepted into the Italian Actors Union in the 1996, the summer after I met Mara Lesemann, my wife.

There was an election and I got to be a low level board member under President Paul Borghese. He was an actor and Director with a lot of experience. He was close to my age. The IAU was re-branded as the Guild of Italian American Actors, I wound up being Vice President then President in 2009.

A lit since then is a blur. We ran a short film festival for several years, I met and worked with some famous people, my favorite Mario Fratti who won a TONY for Nine the Broadway musical. I got a feature lead role in DETOURS where I shared scene with Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) and Deirdre O’Connell (OBIE and TONY award winner) We continue to move forward with new members and new technologies.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

There have been a lot of bumps and detours in the road. Economic I felt before I was a teen.

My parents owned a legal two family home. They rented to an African American couple in the days when Fred Trump was the big real estate name on the area. Fortunately my parent and tenants were good to each other in a time that reminds me know when I see racist news events.

Wars cost our economy. IMy family did benefit from free public college which became reasonably affordable. Now i see it is more of a struggle. The rich should be appreciate a smart and healthy workforce. Taxes help pay for that.

I got laid off from my last desk job after the mortgage crisis. Fortunately, I am keeping afloat personally and can devote a lot more time to GIAA and my own acting goals.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I act. I specialize in old male roles. Some from the Godfather and Sopranos mold. Others political. I can do some impressions.. My membership in the Guild of Italian American Actors exceeds most professional relationships.

I am proud that giving my word means something. My best is what I give when I work with someone. At the same time I can be serious yet defuse stressful situations.

Someone once said i get the right people together in the same room. I still remember that fondly. Whether I act, cast, or produce I collaborate.

What sets me apart is I can think of someone else for castin say without personal reward. I remember another actor saying “Who does that?”

What are your plans for the future?

We have some GIAA board members changes after a recent election.

New Vice President Carolyn McDonaugh has already represented us well and made my life easier.

New Councillor Ashley Wagner has produced a series of short Advent Calendar musical movies for different countries.

Both demonstrate the spirit of the Italian Actors Union: Representing performers who speak languages other than English. I look forward to working with them more in the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.giaa.us
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlov.fiorletta/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guildofitalianamericanactors
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlofiorletta

Image Credits

Mark Veltman black and white head shot
Dana Halstead color head shot