Name
Angelo Rossitto
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1908-02-18
Deathday
1991-09-21 (83 years old)
Place of Birth
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Biography
Angelo Salvatore Rossitto (February 18, 1908 – September 21, 1991) was an American actor and voice artist. He had dwarfism and was 2'11" (89 cm) tall, and was often billed as Little Angie or Moe. Angelo first appeared in silent films opposite Lon Chaney and John Barrymore. On-screen, he portrayed everything from dwarfs, midgets, gnomes, and pygmies as well as monsters, villains, and aliens, with appearances in more than 70 films.
Rossitto was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Salvatore Rossitto and Carmela Caniglia, both born in Carlentini, Province of Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, and had a sister, Josephine Rossitto.
He was discovered by John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite Barrymore in The Beloved Rogue (1927). That same year he appeared in Warner Brother's Old San Francisco. He appeared in the controversial 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning, and another controversial film, 1938's Child Bride. During the 1940s, he appeared in several poverty row movies starring Bela Lugosi. He appeared frequently in television series and mini-series, particularly best known for the police drama Baretta, and his later film roles included appearances in Alex in Wonderland (1970), Brain of Blood (1971), Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971), Little Cigars (1973), and Fairy Tales (1978). His last major role was as "Master" opposite Mel Gibson in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).
Rossitto appears alongside singer/songwriter Tom Waits and Lee Kolima on the cover art of Waits' 1983 album Swordfishtrombones, which pays homage to his performance in Freaks. He also appears on the cover of Bob Dylan's album The Basement Tapes.
Known For
7.581
Young Dorothy finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion, a scar...
6.218
Mad Max becomes a pawn in a decadent oasis of a technological society, and when exiled, be...
6.351
To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian...
6.52
In a small American town, a diabolical circus arrives, granting wishes for the townsfolk, ...
5.752
The uncle of an executed murderess relates four stories of his hometown, Oldfield, to a re...
6.335
A Los Angeles detective is sent to New York where he must solve a case involving an old Si...
7.293
A New York gangster and his girlfriend attempt to turn street beggar Apple Annie into a so...
- 1970 Pufnstuf as Seymore Spider / Clang
- 1973 The Stone Killer as Little Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
- 1953 Mesa of Lost Women as Dwarf Lab Assistant
- 1947 Scared to Death as Indigo
- 1942 The Corpse Vanishes as Toby
- 1929 Seven Footprints to Satan as The Dwarf
- 1985 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome as Master
- 1978 Fairy Tales as Otto
- 1971 Brain of Blood as Dorro
- 1941 Spooks Run Wild as Luigi
- 1981 Smokey Bites the Dust as Desk Clerk
- 1962 Confessions of an Opium Eater as Newspaper Boy
- 1938 Child Bride as Angelo
- 1959 The Wild and the Innocent as Midget (uncredited)
- 1991 Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook as Luigi / Indigo (archive footage)
- 1971 Mongo's Back in Town as Trembles
- 1933 Carnival Lady as Dwarf
- 1950 The Bandit Queen as Nino
- 1927 The Beloved Rogue as Beppo - the Dwarf
- 1962 The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm as Dwarf
- 1927 Old San Francisco as Chang Loo - the Dwarf
- 1962 Requiem for a Heavyweight as Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited)
- 1972 The Other as Sideshow Performer (uncredited)
- 1928 While the City Sleeps as Member of Skeeter's Gang
- 1971 Dracula vs. Frankenstein as Grazbo the Evil Dwarf
- 1957 Invasion of the Saucer Men as Saucer Man
- 1939 The Wizard of Oz as Munchkin Villager (uncredited)
- 1930 The Big House as Inmate (uncredited)
- 1939 Mr. Wong in Chinatown as Mute Dwarf
- 1975 I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? as Little Pianist
- 1985 The Making of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' as Self
- 1940 Doomed to Die as Newsboy #3 in Montage
- 1973 Little Cigars as Angelo
- 1980 Galaxina as Monster from Egg
- 1983 Something Wicked This Way Comes as Little Person #1
- 1962 The Magic Sword as 2nd Dwarf
- 1973 The Clones as Man at Phone Booth
- 1929 One Stolen Night as The Dwarf
- 1975 The Master Gunfighter as Side show midget
- 1955 Dementia as Newsboy (uncredited)
- 1943 The Spider Woman as Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited)
- 1987 From a Whisper to a Scream as Tinker
- 1979 The Dark as Angie (uncredited)
- 2018 The Other Side of the Wind as Angelo
- 1952 The Greatest Show on Earth as Dwarf (uncredited)
- 1941 Hellzapoppin' as Dwarf Devil (uncredited)
- 1932 Freaks as Angeleno
- 1967 Doctor Dolittle as Dwarf (uncredited)
- 1970 Alex in Wonderland as Fellini #1
- 1942 Reunion in France as Citizen in Bomb Shelter (uncredited)
- 1950 The Baron of Arizona as Angie -- Gypsy
- 1957 The Story of Mankind as Dwarf in Nero's Court
- 1961 Pocketful of Miracles as Angie (uncredited)
- 1977 Help Woodsy Spread the Word as Woodsy Owl
- 1934 Babes in Toyland as Elmer - Second Little Pig / 1st Sandman in Cave (uncredited)
- 1967 The Trip as Dwarf in Forest Fantasy (uncredited)
- 1967 The Perils of Pauline as Pygmy Leader's Assistant
- 1929 The Mysterious Island as Underwater Creature
- 1934 I Believed in You as Greenwich Village Waiter
- 1928 The Viking as Viking Little Person (uncredited)
- 1944 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves as Arab Dwarf (uncredited)
- 1950 Pygmy Island as Pygmy in Cave
- 1955 Jungle Moon Men as Smallest Moon-Man
- 1991 Halloween Monster Bash as Toby (archive footage)
- 1977 The Incredible Hulk ( 1 episode ) as Tom Thumb (uncredited)
- 1971 Lidsville ( 17 episodes ) as Mr. Big
- 1975 Baretta ( 3 episodes )
- 1977 The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries ( 2 episodes )
- 1955 Gunsmoke ( 1 episode ) as Billy (uncredited)
- 1969 H.R. Pufnstuf ( 17 episodes ) as Seymore Spider
- 1985 Amazing Stories ( 1 episode ) as Vaudevillian
- 1987 Star Trek: The Next Generation ( 1 episode ) as Spectator (uncredited)
- 1978 Jason of Star Command ( 2 episodes ) as Bork
- 1974 The Rockford Files ( 1 episode ) as Dwarf Patient (uncredited)
- 1972 Kung Fu ( 1 episode ) as Angelo (uncredited)
- 1966 T.H.E. Cat ( 1 episode ) as Circus Dwarf (uncredited)
- 1965 Branded ( 1 episode ) as Shooting Gallery Man (uncredited)
- 1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ( 1 episode ) as Blind Pencil Seller
- 1959 The Rebel ( 1 episode ) as Godfrey
- 1975 Starsky & Hutch ( 1 episode ) as Big Ben
- 1973 The Snoop Sisters ( 1 episode ) as Little Igor
- 1958 Shirley Temple's Storybook ( 1 episode ) as Mouse
- 1958 Shirley Temple's Storybook ( 1 episode ) as Dwarf
- 1975 Baretta ( 1 episode ) as Little Moe (uncredited)
