Chuck Zito Biography
Biography
 |
Chuck grew up in The Bronx and New Rochelle, New York, the
son of Italian-American parents Charles Zito and Gloria
Frangione Zito.
Chuck Zito began boxing when he was a teenager, following in his
father's footsteps. He competed in several amateur boxing
matches, with mixed results. In 1973, Zito competed in his first
Golden Gloves competition, winning his first two matches but
losing his third.
The same year, Chuck Zito married his high-school friend Kathy
and adopted her daughter, Lisa, and dropped out of high
school.Zito worked at a series of manual jobs, and also
purchased his first motorcycle. Soon after, along with several
of his friends, Zito established the small New Rochelle
Motorcycle Club. The club eventually merged with the larger
Ching-a-Ling Nomads.
In 1979, Chuck Zito left the Ching-a-Lings to join the New York
chapter of the Hells Angels. This caused a simmering dispute
with his wife to boil over. Kathy left him and quickly filed for
divorce. Some months later, the two reconciled. Although they
continue to live together they have never remarried.
While attending a motorcycle show in 1980, Chuck Zito met one of
the bodyguards for actor Robert Conrad. This experience inspired
him to start his own bodyguard service, naming it Charlie's
Angels Bodyguard Service, a reference to his Hells Angels
affiliation. Chuck Zito's bodyguard business developed slowly,
until he was hired by Liza Minnelli. She recommended his
services to her celebrity friends, and he quickly started making
contacts throughout Hollywood.
In 1985, Chuck Zito was indicted as part of the FBI's Operation
Rough Rider and charged with trafficking amphetamine. Zito, who
was traveling in Japan when he was charged, spent four months in
a Japanese prison before being extradited to the United States.
Chuck then spent a further fourteen months in an American prison
after being denied bail. Although he continues to deny the
charges, Zito eventually pled guilty. He claims that the federal
attorneys had made a deal with him in which he would be
sentenced to time served in return for his guilty plea. However
he was sentenced to ten years, of which he served six.
Chuck Zito denies that he has ever been involved in drug
trafficking. He further claims to have never even used drugs or
consumed alcohol.
After Zito's release from prison, in 1990, Chuck returned to
work as a bodyguard and as a stuntman. Chuck Zito's stunt roles
started to evolve into small speaking parts. His acting career
reached a new plateau in 1998, when he was offered a role in the
HBO series Oz. On that show, he is a key Italian inmate named
Chucky Pancamo who is one of the most physically intimidating
inmates on the show.
Just before filming for Oz started, Chuck Zito received
additional publicity when he punched Jean Claude Van Damme at a
club after the actor and martial artist stated that "Chuck Zito
has no heart".
In 1999, Chuck Zito made several appearances on the professional
wrestling television show WCW Monday Nitro, portraying a
supposed allience with Hulk Hogan.
In 2002, Zito co-authored the autobiographical Street Justice.
Trivia
- Zito is a friend and former bodyguard of Mickey Rourke.
This Chuck Zito Biography Page is Copyright The Planets © 2004 - 2006 Chuck Ayoub