Remembering Dino Cassio

Leonardo ‘Dino’ Cassio was born on April 2, 1934 in Bari, Puglia, Italy. Dino began working as a vaudeville actor and character actor, he moved to Rome and Turin in 1964 where he joined the comedy group ‘Il Brutos’ replacing Giorgio Goshawk, with the group they continued to record and appear on stage and in films. In 1973 he left the group to act alone, appearing often in Italian comedies.

 
Notable is his speech in “Il pap'occhio” directed by Renzo Arbore in which he sings "Non correre papà," a parody of melodic gut wrenching melancholy songs.
 
Cassio appeared in only one Euro-western as the sheriff in “Trinity and Sartana are Coming” (1972).
 
One of his best known roles was that of the priest who met Lino Banfi in the surreal scene of slaps “Vieni avanti cretino” in 1982.
 
The following year he starred in " "FF.SS." - Cioè: "...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?" FF.SS.", again directed by Renzo Arbore, in which Dino is paired with Gigi Proietti, in the di Curtatone, interprets Montanara (the famous Battaglia di Curtatone e Montanara).
 
Dino became ill with Alzheimer's disease, his condition worsened at the end of June 2012, when he fell into a coma. He died July 9, 2012 at the age of 78 years.
 
Today we remember Dino Cassio on what would have been his 80^th birthday.