L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 4 T h e l e g e n d a r y f a c e o f R o c k y a n d R a m b o , Sylvester Stal- l o n e h a s brought to the screen not only his characters but also his roots. The son of Frank S t a l l o n e S r . , a n I t a l i a n immigrant born in Castel- lammare del Golfo, Sicily, who later moved to Gioia d e l C o l l e i n P u g l i a , a n d J a c q u e l i n e L a b o f i s h , o f European descent, Stallone grew up in a family deeply influenced by Italian tradi- tions, from stories about the " o l d c o u n t r y " t o S u n d a y lunches that kept that bond alive in the heart of Hell's K i t c h e n , a w o r k i n g - c l a s s neighborhood of New York. Over five decades, Stal- lone has defined and rede- fined the American action hero, writing and starring in s o m e o f t h e m o s t m e m o - rable films in modern cine- ma. Rocky (1976) earned ten Oscar nominations and turned him into a glob- al symbol of perseverance, w h i l e R a m b o ( 1 9 8 2 ) reimagined post-war mas- culinity and the complexi- t i e s o f h e r o i s m . B e y o n d these milestones, his work as a writer, director, and producer has shaped entire genres, from the Expend- ables saga to more intimate stories exploring redemp- t i o n , e n d u r a n c e , a n d b e l o n g i n g . H i s a b i l i t y t o evolve and to give emotion- al depth to characters once seen as indestructible has k e p t h i s c a r e e r r e l e v a n t , mirroring changing cultural ideas of strength and vul- nerability. H i s I t a l i a n h e r i t a g e h a s r e m a i n e d a c o n - stant presence through- o u t h i s l i f e a n d c a r e e r . From the determination of Rocky Balboa to the family d y n a m i c s i n t e r t w i n e d through many of his films, Stallone's cinema reflects the values inherited from his father and the world he c a m e f r o m . I n 2 0 2 3 , together with his brother Frank, he returned to Italy to receive honorary citizen- ship from Gioia del Colle, the town where their grand- f a t h e r S i l v e s t r o o n c e worked as a barber before emigrating to the United States, a gesture that sym- bolically closed a family cir- cle nearly a century in the making. Perhaps, Stallone's Ital- i a n l e g a c y f i n d s i t s m o s t recognizable acting expres- sion in Rocky Balboa, the S o u t h P h i l l y b o x e r w h o , w i t h h i s s t r o n g s e n s e o f family, tenacity, and digni- ty, embodies the essence of the Italian-American spirit. That same sense of belong- ing resurfaces today in The Family Stallone, the reality series that follows his life between Hollywood and his roots, and in Tulsa King, where the actor brings to life Dwight Manfredi, chan- neling the depth of a career built over more than fifty years in cinema. We had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Stallone about Tulsa King, his cre- ative process, and how his Italian heritage, family, and d e c a d e s i n t h e i n d u s t r y continue to shape the sto- ries he tells, both on screen and in life. Mr. Stallone, you've h a d a n i n c r e d i b l e c a r e e r i n H o l l y w o o d , and you've also written a n d p r o d u c e d m a n y projects. How did the experience with Tulsa King challenge you? The challenge is always in the writing. Writing is e v e r y t h i n g . I t ' s t h e m o s t difficult of all the arts. It's a l m o s t v e r b a l m a t h ; t h e dialogue has to add up to something. Once the writ- ing is done, 90 percent of the problems are over. Your memoir is titled T h e S t e p s , w h i c h echoes the iconic climb in Rocky. What was the w r i t i n g p r o c e s s l i k e when reflecting on your career? It actually takes you into a place you thought you had c o m p l e t e l y f o r g o t t e n , because time promotes for- getfulness. When you start to dwell on how everything happened, you realize you couldn't have done it alone. But somehow, I liked that c h a l l e n g e , a n d I n e v e r looked back. It may sound odd, but there's also a spiri- t u a l s i d e t o i t , w h i c h I ignored for a long time. And then what hap- pened? I r e a l i z e d I s u b c o n - sciously wrote a story about a b r o k e n m a n , w i t h a crushed soul, who's been c h o s e n t o d o s o m e t h i n g e n l i g h t e n i n g , s o m e t h i n g hopeful that gives people a chance to believe in life and love. And that's when it hit m e . E v e r y p e r s o n y o u ' v e m e t , e v e r y w o r d y o u e x c h a n g e d , e v e r y f i g h t , e v e r y m o m e n t w i t h y o u r parents… these experiences s h a p e y o u . I f a n y o f i t Sylvester Stallone, from Rocky to Tulsa King: Hollywood's Italian-American icon SILVIA NITTOLI NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS CONTINUED TO PAGE 6 Stallone became a household name in 1976 thanks to the iconic "Rocky" (Photo: Denis Makarenko/Dreamstime)

• Cover