Catherine Scorsese

Catherine Scorsese
Born	Catherine Cappa[1] April 16, 1912 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 6, 1997 (aged 84) New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Alzheimer's disease
Religion	Roman Catholicism[2]
Spouse(s)	Charles Scorsese (m. 1933; his death 1993)
Children	2, including Martin Scorsese

Catherine Scorsese (née Cappa; April 16, 1912 – January 6, 1997) was an American actress, and the mother of director Martin Scorsese. Of Italian descent, she began acting when her son Martin Scorsese cast her in his film It's Not Just You, Murray!. She frequently played the role of an Italian mother, and is perhaps most well known for her appearance in her son's film Goodfellas. She acted in films other than her son's. She was married to Charles Scorsese. Her father, Martin Cappa, was a stage co-ordinator and her mother, Domenica,^[1] was a shop owner. She published a recipe book, Italianamerican: The Scorsese Family Cookbook.

Cappa grew up in a three-room apartment on Elizabeth Street, on the outer reaches of Manhattan's Little Italy, which was shared with 14 people, including boarders and relatives. In 1933, when she was working as a machinist in the nearby Garment District, she married Charles Scorsese, who also lived on Elizabeth Street and was also employed in the garment industry. The experience of growing up in Little Italy among first- and second-generation Italian Americans had a profound influence on her son Martin, who revisited their attitudes, values and way of life in his 1974 documentary, Italianamerican.^[1]

Filmography

• It's Not Just You, Murray! (1964) – Mother
• Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967) – Mother
• Mean Streets (1973) – Woman on Landing
• Italianamerican (1974) – Herself
• The King of Comedy (1983) – Rupert's Mom
• Easy Money (1983) – Nicky Cerone's mother
• Wise Guys (1986) – Birthday Guest
• Moonstruck (1987) – Customer at Bakery
• The Godfather Part III (1990) – Woman in Cafe
• Goodfellas (1990) – Mrs. DeVito, Tommy's mother
• Cape Fear (1991) – Fruitstand Customer
• The Age of Innocence (1993; uncredited)
• Men Lie (1994) – Unknown
• Casino (1995) – Piscano's mother

References

1. Casillo, Robert (2006). "The Immigrant Generations: Italianamerican". Gangster Priest: The Italian American Cinema of Martin Scorsese. University of Toronto Press.
2. "Martin Scorsese". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-01-08.

External links

• Catherine Scorsese at Fact Monster
• Catherine Scorsese at the Internet Movie Database
• Catherine Scorsese at Find a Grave