From ‘Goodfellas’ to ‘Tulsa King’: James Quattrochi Reflects on Scorsese, Second Acts, and Thirty Years in the Mob Genre
…Well, I’ve taught, counseled, and lectured. But I can proudly say that, because of what Martin Scorsese did for me, I’ve probably given away about 20 SAG cards — Screen Actors Guild cards — on movies I’ve produced and directed. If someone really wanted to join SAG, I’d give them an upgrade or a line so they could qualify. You’ve got to have a speaking role to join. Or I’d give three background vouchers, which means they were SAG background. Three of those, and you can join. I’ve done that for close to 20 people, maybe more. I try to give back. I lecture. I coach my friends, and they coach me. Many times, I’ve been on set with an actor who wasn’t quite as skilled or didn’t know set etiquette — didn’t know how to hit the mark or find the camera. And I’d coach them through it…
I had the pleasure of talking with James Quattrochi. James is a veteran actor, filmmaker, and producer whose multifaceted career spans over three decades in the American entertainment industry. From early roots in acting to a prolific behind-the-camera presence, Quattrochi has built a reputation as both a working artist and a practical voice in the business of film and television.
Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Westchester County, Quattrochi’s early years were steeped in the rhythms of a tightly knit Italian-American family and the industrious environment of a family-run hardware store. His upbringing in a multicultural neighborhood left a lasting impression, shaping his perspective and later informing the character-driven stories he would pursue on screen.
Quattrochi arrived in Los Angeles in 1991, initially pursuing an acting career. His early credits include a guest appearance on Married… with Children and Melrose Place. A pivotal moment came in the late 1980s when he landed a small but formative role in Goodfellas, where director Martin Scorsese gave him his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card. That gesture, followed years later by a letter of encouragement from Scorsese after viewing Quattrochi’s directorial debut, would prove foundational.
By 1995, Quattrochi transitioned behind the camera, producing and starring in In the Kingdom of the Blind, a political thriller that screened at both the Palm Springs and Santa Barbara film festivals. The film’s success helped launch his directorial career. His follow-up feature, True Friends, garnered awards on the independent circuit, including Best Up and Coming Director at the Laifa Film Awards and recognition from the Imagen Awards.
Quattrochi’s directorial efforts in the 2000s included Jesus, Mary and Joey, a feature starring Olympia Dukakis, Charles Durning, and Stacy Keach, and The Prince and the Pauper, a family film featuring the Sprouse twins, which was distributed by Sony Pictures. He also helmed The Nail, starring William Forsythe and Tony Danza, and The Sinatra Club, a mob drama set in 1970s New York. His work is characterized by a blend of streetwise realism and personal nostalgia, often drawing on his own New York upbringing.
In recent years, Quattrochi has re-emerged as a television actor, co-starring on two high-profile streaming series: Tulsa King on Paramount Plus, opposite Sylvester Stallone, and The Family Business on BET, where he plays the recurring character Rocco. In both shows, he portrays archetypes drawn from the organized crime genre, a style he openly embraces and credits to the vivid personalities of his New York childhood.
Beyond his on-screen roles, Quattrochi is also a frequent collaborator behind the scenes, known for managing tight budgets and navigating the complexities of modern film production. With experience in roles ranging from transportation coordination to full-scale producing, he has earned a reputation as an operations-savvy industry veteran. He is vocal about the challenges posed by runaway production and is a proponent of policies aimed at keeping film and television jobs within the United States.
Among his current projects are Family Saga, a period drama set in post-Prohibition Las Vegas, and Syracuse 8, a screenplay chronicling the real-life 1969 protest by African American football players at Syracuse University. Both projects reflect Quattrochi’s ongoing interest in historical and socially resonant storytelling.
Quattrochi’s contributions to the industry extend to mentorship and education. Over the years, he has helped numerous aspiring actors earn their SAG cards by providing them with speaking roles or production vouchers. He frequently coaches young performers on set, passing along guidance he received from mentors like Joe Mantegna.
Despite his longevity in the business, Quattrochi describes himself as someone who rarely pauses to reflect on past successes. He remains focused on the next opportunity, whether in front of the camera or behind it. He attributes much of his discipline to figures like Stallone and Dan Gordon, a longtime collaborator and mentor, whose personal stories of service and resilience have informed Quattrochi’s own outlook.
Through all of his endeavors, Quattrochi maintains a strong belief in the transformative power of storytelling. Whether portraying a mob enforcer or writing about racial justice in collegiate athletics, he sees narrative as a means of human connection. “Stay true to yourself,” he said to me. “Stay pure, stay humble, stay grateful, and love others.” That guiding ethos, shaped by both industry experience and personal conviction, continues to define his evolving career.
Yitzi: James, it’s so nice to meet you. Before we dive in deep, I’d love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share the story of your childhood and how you grew up?
James: Wow, you’re talking to a young man who was born in the Bronx, New York. My family owned a hardware store before there was even a Home Depot. It was a big store — half a city block long — and the whole family worked in it, including me. As a teenager, I did deliveries and all kinds of things.
I grew up in an Italian family. We moved to Westchester, not far from the Bronx. I had a lot of cousins, aunts, and uncles nearby. Great food every weekend, every holiday. Our door was always open. Neighbors would walk in, my friends would come by, and my mom always had food for everyone. It was just wonderful.
My grandparents stayed in the Bronx. Growing up, they had chickens, rabbits, and all kinds of animals. My grandfather made wine. It was a rich culture, and honestly, I feel like a lot of that culture is lost today.
We lived in a very diverse area — Italian, Polish, Jewish, and Irish. Everybody got along. Everyone was very family-oriented. Those communities really valued family, education, and food. I was very blessed.
My father was an entrepreneur. By the age of 29, believe it or not, I had owned a dry cleaner, a fitness center, a construction company, a tanning salon, and a live blues and jazz club in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Don’t ask me how I did it. I guess I didn’t sleep much. That was the beginning of my journey in business, which eventually led me into producing movies, being creative, and directing.
I always wanted to be an actor. I studied acting in Manhattan with some wonderful teachers and did some off-Broadway. That’s how I started my career in New York. I actually got my SAG card in Goodfellas. Martin Scorsese — well, I can’t say he discovered me, but he befriended me on set. He asked for pictures, and the next day, I had a couple of lines in the Copacabana with Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci.
That was the start. I’ll tell you a funny story. When Scorsese gave me my SAG card, I thanked him so much and he said, “Don’t let it go to waste.”
Later, when I directed my first film, I met Jerry Vale. He was a wonderful crooner who worked with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. I love that era, that music. Jerry gave me music for the movie, and he loved it so much he said, “I want to send it to Marty.” Now, he calls him Marty — I call him Mr. Scorsese, right?
So, I wrote a letter to Mr. Scorsese, reminding him that he gave me my SAG card and told me not to let it go to waste. I told him I hoped he agreed I hadn’t. I included a copy of my first film and let him know how much he inspired me throughout my career.
About six months later, I got a letter — I’m looking at it right now — on his stationery, with his signature. He said how much he enjoyed the film. I still have that letter. I covet it. It was kind of magical.
Back in the day, do you remember Sonny Grosso from The French Connection? He was the detective the movie was based on. Later, he retired and started producing movies. Every Tuesday, we’d get together at Café Puglia in Little Italy, New York. The older Italian guys would get up and sing. I was young then, about 27 or 28.
Sonny befriended me. For whatever reason, he liked me — maybe because I was a young Italian kid, I don’t know.
Charlie Durning had won a Tony for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Kathleen Turner. One day at Café Puglia, Sonny brought Charlie down and said, “Charlie, I want you to meet the kid — James.”
Charlie looked at me, stepped back, and said, “You got a good look, kid. Don’t let ’em knock you out of the box.” I didn’t even know what that meant at the time.
Maybe ten years later, around 2002, I directed a movie called Jesus, Mary and Joey in Rhode Island. The casting director brought in Charlie Durning to play a New York City bartender — the kind of guy who could tell your whole life story just by looking at your face.
After his first take, Charlie came up to me and said, “Got anything to say to me?” I said, “Yeah, Charlie. I didn’t let ’em knock me out of the box.”
He looked at me. I said, “Sonny Grosso. Café Puglia.”
He said, “You were the kid.”
Yeah, I was the kid.
Yitzi: That’s a great story. You’ve already shared so many amazing experiences. Can you tell us about when you first started acting and filmmaking? Maybe share a story about your first big breaks?
James: Well, I moved out here and it took me two years to get my first role. That first role was on Married… with Children, where I played a schoolteacher. A week later, I booked a movie, so I figured, I’ve made it. But then it was another year before I got Melrose Place.
I realized I was starting to burn through my savings, so I thought, I better start waiting tables. Like every other struggling artist, right?
I had the chance to work with the Green Book people. Do you remember that movie? Nick Vallelonga’s father, Tony the Lip, grew up with my father in the Bronx. I adored his parents, and he adored mine. Nick and I have produced five movies together. I didn’t work on Green Book — I was off doing another project — but he came to me and together we raised money for my first film. He directed and produced it. It was called In the Kingdom of the Blind. It starred Trish Van Devere, Alfonso, William Petersen, Paul Winfield, and other wonderful actors.
Watching him direct and sit in the editing room — it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Honestly, I think I cried myself to sleep every night, just worrying. I kept thinking, am I going to be able to pay people back? Because if I borrow money from you, you’re getting it back. No question.
The movie was a success. We paid everyone back. But it was so hard, I swore I’d never do it again. And then I did it 21 more times and directed 10 films after that.
A bunch of friends came to me and said, “Let’s make a movie.” I told them, “No, man, I don’t want to make a movie.” But they convinced me. The movie was called True Friends. I wrote it on a Canon StarWriter, with a ribbon and a floppy disk. That’s what I had.
When I finished the screenplay — it took about two weeks, co-writing with a friend — I typed in “Fade to Black.” And I can’t explain it, but this energy came over me and I broke down crying. No idea why. I wasn’t in pain. But I heard a voice. And in my life, maybe three or four times, I’ve actually heard a voice.
You know what I mean — that kind of divine intervention where it feels like someone’s talking directly into your ear. The voice said, “You have to direct this movie.”
My friend was concerned because I was crying. I told him, “I’m okay. But I have to direct this movie.” He said, “What do you know about directing?” I said, “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But I know I have to do it.”
I went on to win all kinds of awards — Best Up-and-Coming Italian-American Filmmaker, and others from Charleston Film Festival, Breckenridge Film Festival. It was the real start of my directing career.
We four-walled that movie, and believe it or not, it was in theaters for a year. Back then, AMC would actually carry the physical prints. It wasn’t digital like today. They trucked the prints around California to different theaters for a full year. That’s unheard of now. What do movies last in theaters these days? A week or two?
I remember being in a Rite Aid — I had written, produced, directed, and starred in True Friends — and this young woman came up to me while I was buying film. She said, “Oh my God, you’re the guy from True Friends.”
That was the first time anyone had really recognized me from a movie on the big screen. She told me she loved the film because it was about friendship. She’d had a falling out with her best friend from college years earlier, and because of my movie, she reached out. They were meeting for lunch the following week.
She hugged me. I got back to my car and broke down crying again. Big baby, right? But it hit me. When I typed “Fade to Black,” that was destiny. The energy I felt, the voice I heard — it was real.
And I realized, what we do as artists — you as a writer and journalist, me as a filmmaker — it’s not just for us. Sure, we get some personal satisfaction. We win an award, get paid. But it’s really about helping people, maybe even changing the world in some small way.
I’ve had the honor of working with Dan Gordon, the writer. He wrote Hurricane Carter, Passenger 57, The Last Rambo, and he worked with Michael Landon on Little House on the Prairie. I’ve produced three movies with him.
He’s also a colonel in the Israeli army. When he was around 73, he won a bench press contest — put up 225 pounds. I asked him how he did it! He’s about 75 now, but even when he was 68 or 69, we had just wrapped a movie in Birmingham, Alabama.
Around that time, there was conflict on the Gaza Strip. He went back as a point person and colonel, fighting on the front lines. I looked at him and asked, “Why? What’s wrong with you?”
He said, “That’s my country. I don’t care what happens to me. I’m going back to fight for my country and my people.”
That’s the kind of man he is. He’s one of my mentors and a truly gifted writer.
I’ve been lucky to work with John Travolta, the Green Book team, Olympia Dukakis, Stacy Keach, Joe Mantegna, Chris Walken — so many incredible actors.
But I’m one of those guys, I don’t know if you’re like this, but as soon as I accomplish something, I’m like, “Okay, what’s next?” I don’t really stop to enjoy it. I probably should, but I just keep going.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a funny mistake you made when you were first starting acting, and the lesson you learned from it?
James: Oh, wow. Well, it wasn’t really my fault. Day one. And it was April Fool’s Day. So, I suggest no one starts a project on April Fool’s Day. I did 45 setups with kids. That’s a lot of setups. Two cameras, 45 setups. Piece of cake, right?
Next day, I come in thinking, this directing stuff is easy. This was the first movie, True Friends, I’d ever directed. My DP, Jeff Bauster — director of photography — comes into my trailer, getting ready for day two. And he says, “Jamie, I’ve got bad news. Just got a report from the lab. We’re filming on 35 millimeter. There’s no image on the negative.”
I go, “Yeah, okay. April Fool’s, that’s very funny, Jeff. We’ve got a lot to do today.”
He says, “No, I’m really serious.”
I thought somebody hit me with a cannon. I collapsed onto the couch. Day one, and I’m already a day behind. What do I do? How’d that happen?
Turns out, the first assistant camera person had taken out an armature to clean it and put it back in backwards, which made the film run through on the non-emulsion side. So, we recorded all day, and got nothing.
We were filming in a Catholic church, and I had to go beg the head sister to give me an extra day. I told her what happened, and she was wonderful. We got an extra day for free, and I caught up.
I don’t know if that was a mistake or not, but it was definitely a life lesson. I learned to check stuff right away. Check the gate, make sure everything’s working. That was a big one.
It also proved to me that I could pick myself up and keep going. In adversity, when everything goes wrong, you have no choice. You either quit or persevere.
That was a major one. I’m sure there are a million little ones, like when I should’ve just kept my mouth shut. But I’ve always been professional on set, always listened, always hit my mark, and always showed up. I never fooled around.
Yitzi: You mentioned the story where Martin Scorsese created an opportunity for you and it changed your career trajectory. We love those stories. Do you have a story where you did that for someone else — where you helped change their career?
James: Well, I’ve taught, counseled, and lectured. But I can proudly say that, because of what Martin Scorsese did for me, I’ve probably given away about 20 SAG cards — Screen Actors Guild cards — on movies I’ve produced and directed.
If someone really wanted to join SAG, I’d give them an upgrade or a line so they could qualify. You’ve got to have a speaking role to join. Or I’d give three background vouchers, which means they were SAG background. Three of those, and you can join. I’ve done that for close to 20 people, maybe more.
I try to give back. I lecture. I coach my friends, and they coach me. Many times, I’ve been on set with an actor who wasn’t quite as skilled or didn’t know set etiquette — didn’t know how to hit the mark or find the camera. And I’d coach them through it.
I’d say, “Okay, this is what you do. Action. You want to look over here and deliver your line over here.” I’ve helped a lot of people that way. Because I screwed it up once, and I feel like I have to give back.
Actually, Joe Mantegna told me something that stuck with me. You know who he is, right? Criminal Minds — he won a Tony for playing Ricky Roma. He’s got a Tony, Emmys, everything. Big David Mamet guy.
I used to get nervous around the camera in the beginning. It felt like this big intimidating thing. And he said to me, “Ignore it. It’s the director of photography’s job to catch you. Just pay attention to your fellow actor or actress and lock onto them. The camera’s not even there.”
It was so simple, but it made a lot of sense. Now, I love the camera. I always want to know where it is. But in the beginning, I was nervous.
Glengarry Glen Ross was the name of the play Joe won the Tony for.
Yitzi: James, you have so much impressive work. Can you share with the readers some exciting new things you’re working on now? New projects you’re releasing and producing?
James: Well, we have a project called Family Saga. It’s set in the 1940s, right after Prohibition, as Vegas is opening up. It’s kind of Boardwalk Empire meets The Godfather: Part I. It’s about the power struggle of a family trying to branch out to Vegas to become more legitimate and stay in power, going up against the other four mob families in New York City — who’s on the payroll in the mayor’s office or the police commissioner. This is all true, that’s how it went down.
I wrote it based, at least partially, on true stories from people I knew growing up.
Then there’s another project — a screenplay I wrote — called Syracuse 8. It’s about eight African American football players at Syracuse University, between 1969 and 1973, who boycotted the football program because of racism. They weren’t getting enough playing time. It’s a famous story. There was a book written about it, and I optioned it.
These guys risked their careers and ultimately gave up their NFL chances. Some of them had real potential to go pro. And remember, some greats came out of that program — Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little. The list goes on.
When I interviewed the players and we wrote the screenplay, I asked them, “Why’d you do it?” And one of them said, “We just felt we needed to carve a path for those who would come after us.” They helped change college football forever. Now they’re all grown up, with careers and families. They’re grandparents now, and they’re all really happy.
Right now, I’m working on The Family Business for BET and Netflix. It’s a Carl Weber show — he’s the showrunner. I’m also in Tulsa King, Sylvester Stallone’s series. I just finished my second season on both shows, and hopefully I’ll be doing a third season of Tulsa King soon.
I’ve had the chance to work with some incredible people on both sets. So yeah, I’m pretty delighted.
Yitzi: Amazing. You mentioned Tulsa King. It’s one of my favorite shows.
James: If you remember season two, episode 789, I come on as a character called Sally Dogs. I’m Rocco in The Family Business, and I’m Sally Dogs in Tulsa King. Same character, different name. Stereotype me, but work me, right?
I’m part of the Kansas City crew, under a character called Bevilacqua, played by Frank Grillo. Neal McDonough is one of our nemeses. I’d worked with Neal before, along with Kevin Sorbo, in a movie we shot in Canada. Neal’s a wonderful man.
Then there’s Annabella Sciorra, Dana Delany… I could go on and on. This season we’ve got Kevin Pollak, Robert Patrick — the cast is just incredible. And the original cast, I love them. It’s all hugs every day on set.
Now we’re in season three, and wait until you see it. If you thought season two was good, there’s a lot more action and story ahead. I won’t ruin it for you, but here’s a little hint from the end of last season — when Chicky got whacked, we go into business with Stallone. His character, his crew. I’ll leave it at that. You’re going to like it. You’re going to like it a lot.
I just want to say something about Sylvester Stallone. When I saw Rocky, I was 16 years old. I left the theater, took $15 out of my pocket — probably my last $15 — and joined the YMCA. Back then, for $15, you got a year membership. It was the YMCA in White Plains, New York.
I started lifting weights, I started boxing. I still box. I still lift. He changed my life.
But if you think about it, throughout his career, he’s an icon. He’s inspired the world. Going back to what I said earlier, what we do as artists isn’t just for us.
He’s so generous, so kind, so forgiving. At 79 years old, he walks around like a teenager. And he has muscle tone, man. More muscle than me, and I can’t figure it out.
He’s in incredible shape. I know people in their late sixties who can barely walk. This guy’s running around set, directing, changing lines, coaching actors. He’s doing it all.
Yitzi: So, what do you think it was that made Tulsa King so beloved?
James: Stallone’s amazing. He’s really charming in it. He’s brilliant.
I think people still love the mob genre. And here you’ve got this guy — New York kicks him out and says, “Go to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We don’t want to see you anymore. Do whatever you want.”
He kept his mouth shut when he was in jail. He gets out, they don’t give him any money, they kick him out of New York. So, he heads to Tulsa and starts a crew. Starts opening businesses. And suddenly, everybody wants a piece of him.
I think it’s that underdog story — someone who rises to the top. You feel for him. You root for him. That’s the key.
Plus, the writing is brilliant. We’ve got Taylor Sheridan, Terence Winter, Joe Riccobene — some really great writers who started the first few seasons and kept it going.
It’s a combination of great writing, a wonderful ensemble cast, and him. People tuned in because it’s Stallone. I tuned in during the first season and binge-watched it just like you did.
Then, when my agent called me in season two and said, “You’ve got an audition for Tulsa King,” I was like, “Really? Really?” I was so excited.
Yitzi: How would you compare and contrast your personal character, James, with the character you play, Sally Dogs? How are you similar, how are you different?
James: My personal character as James versus Sally Dogs?
I just imitate everybody I ever grew up with, man. New York — we had the most incredible, colorful characters. I remember them like it was yesterday, even though it feels like a different life.
They were so colorful, I wanted to emulate them. I wanted to be them. Before I went to college, I wanted to be a gangster. I wanted to be a wise guy, right?
They had the suits, the shoes, the polished nails. They got respect. Their hair was always done nice. They always had money, pinky rings. I wanted to be those guys.
Now, I am those guys — in the movies.
Yitzi: That’s great. This is our signature question. James, you’ve been blessed with a lot of success. Looking back to when you first started, you must have learned a lot from your experience. Can you share five things you’ve learned now that you wish you knew when you first started acting?
James: I would have started younger. I started when I was 28, after a divorce. My mother found an article about extras being needed for Ghostbusters Part Two. I went down to 57th Street. It was 10 degrees below zero. I got frostbite, but I thought it was the greatest thing since penicillin. My brother came with me — he hated it. He’s still in New York, and I’m in Hollywood.
I would have started younger. I would have focused more on my career and less on my businesses and making money. I always had this thing about making money, but you have to set your priorities. I would have hustled harder to make more contacts and to get a better agent. I have the greatest team around me now — managers, agents, publicists, Monique, and many others across the country who handle things in Atlanta, LA, New Mexico, New York. But I would have built up that kind of team way back then.
I never had the powerful agents who could get me the roles I should have been considered for. Some of my friends, who had bigger agents, got those opportunities. I used to wonder, “Why are they reading me?” Maybe I would’ve done more theater too. Got involved more in stage work.
Ultimately, I would’ve worked harder in the direction of my career, instead of focusing so much on just paying bills. I always had a hustle, constantly working to pay the bills, make money, save money. I’m fortunate now — I could retire — but that came from the hustle.
I also probably would have focused more on directing and producing. Again, the key is starting earlier. The good news is, now I’m at an age where I’m a character actor. And, unfortunately, a lot of the actors who played Italian roles or were in my age range have passed away recently.
I’m going to quote Steve McQueen. When James Dean passed away, Steve McQueen, who was very close to him, said, “I’m heartbroken. But it’s a business, and it’s more work for me.”
What I’m saying is, I’ve now reached a place where a lot of actors either aren’t acting anymore, have retired, or have passed on. And now, I’m being considered for the roles I should have been up for all along. There are a few actors — I love them, I know them, they’re stars — I won’t mention names, but usually a pin gets put in me like, “Let’s hold him, he’s great,” and then that other actor takes the offer and I get released. But now I’m up at bat. I’m hitting the ball. I just need to circle the bases and come home.
Yitzi: This is our final aspirational question. James, because of your great work and the platform you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
James: Stay true to yourself. Get a hold of your faith, whatever your faith may be. Covet that faith. Ask for guidance. Stay pure, stay humble, stay grateful, and love others.
Yitzi: Good one. So James, how can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they watch your films? How can they support you in any possible way?
James: Well, if they spell my name right, they can go to IMDb.com. Just put my name in the little search glass. You can watch my demo reels, see some of the projects, what’s upcoming. I mean, that’s the Bible. IMDb.com is our industry Bible. That’s how you find out what’s what — not just for me, but for everyone in the entertainment industry. That’s what we live by.
Yitzi: James, thank you so much for this amazing conversation. Wishing you continued success and good health. I hope we can do this again next year.
James: Hey, brother, reach out to me anytime. You have any questions, you’ve got my email and my cellphone now. Make sure you call me 24/7.
Yitzi: You’re so nice. Thank you so much, James. I appreciate it.
From ‘Goodfellas’ to ‘Tulsa King’: James Quattrochi Reflects on Scorsese, Second Acts, and Thirty… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.