Joey Giambra (musician)

Joseph G. Giambra (October 31, 1933 – May 14, 2020) was an American jazz musician, actor, and businessman.

Joey Giambra
Birth nameJoseph Giambra
BornOctober 31, 1933
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
DiedMay 14, 2020 (aged 86)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
GenresJazz
InstrumentsTrumpet
EducationSUNY Buffalo State (BS)
Children2

Early life

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Giambra was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1933. His elementary school teacher, Anne Rodenhoffer, sparked his interest in music and drama. While attending Hutchinson Central Technical High School, he formed a band.[1]

Career

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Giambra was a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and actor in New York. He joined the Buffalo Police Department in 1963 and earned a degree in criminology from SUNY Buffalo State at the age of 44.[1] He also owned two restaurants, the Hard Times Cafe, which started in Allentown and moved to Hertel Avenue, and the Rib Crib, on East Chippewa Street.[1][2]

He appeared in the films Hide in Plain Sight, Buffalo '66, Prizzi's Honor, Nighthawks and Marshall.[3]

Personal life

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Giambra and his wife, Shirley, had two children. Giambra died from COVID-19 in Buffalo, New York, during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 Hide in Plain Sight Italian Cook
1991 Slave Master Police Detective Sergeant
1994 Minges Alley Uncle Louie
1998 Buffalo '66 Man in Donut Shop Uncredited
2002 Manna from Heaven Clifford
2017 Marshall Farmer
2018 Cold Brook Frank
2021 Bad Cupid Old Man at Bar

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Kirst, Sean (15 May 2020). "'Buffalo lost a part of its soul': Joey Giambra succumbs to Covid-19". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Joey Giambra". www.bmhof.org. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  3. ^ Gramigna, Glenn (3 March 2002). "CHARACTER ACTOR THE LIFE OF JOE GIAMBRA". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
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