Burt Young

Young in 2006, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Richard Morea

Date of Birth: April 30, 1940

Place of Birth: Corona, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: October 8, 2023

Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: Italian

Burt Young was an American actor, painter, author, and boxer. He is known for playing Paulie Pennino in the Rocky films, a role for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; for the 1976 original. His roles also include the films Chinatown, The Gambler (1974), The Killer Elite (1975), The Choirboys, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, Convoy, Uncle Joe Shannon, Amityville II: The Possession, Lookin’ to Get Out, Once Upon a Time in America, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Back to School, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Betsy’s Wedding, Mickey Blue Eyes, Transamerica, New York, I Love You; Win Win, and Bottom of the 9th, and the made-for-tv movie A Summer to Remember.

Burt was of Italian descent. He did not usually disclose his birth name to the press, leading to inaccurate reports of his surname. He was born Richard Morea, the son of parents named Josephine and Michael, who was a high school shop teacher. He was married to Gloria, until her death. He had a daughter.

Burt’s maternal grandfather was named Giuseppe/Joseph Tarulli. Giuseppe was Italian, with roots in Toritto, Bari, Puglia.

Burt’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Domenica Mirra (the daughter of Giuseppe Rocco Mirra and Maria Concetta Morgese). Domenica was Italian, with roots in Toritto.

Sources: https://depositphotos.com
https://books.google.ca

Burt Young on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org