Nicholas colasanto ted danson biography

American actor and television director (1924–1985)

Nicholas Colasanto (January 19, 1924 – February 12, 1985) was an American actor and television director.

He is best known for his role as Ernie Pantusso in the American television sitcom Cheers (1982 – 1985).

Early life

Colasanto was born on January 19, 1924, in Providence, Rhode Island,^[1] to Giuseppe "Joseph" Colasanto (1889 – 1944) and Maria "Mary" Colasanto (nee Gelfoni; 1889 – 1955), both first-generation Italian Americans.^[2][3][4] Colasanto attended Bryant University (now located in Smithfield, Rhode Island) and was a decorated veteran of World War II, during which he served as a coxswain in the United States Navy.^[6]

Early career

By 1951, he was a bookkeeper.^[7] Around 1954, he intended to work as an accountant for a company in Saudi Arabia.^[8] Inspired by Henry Fonda's performance in the Broadway play Mister Roberts,