Bronx-born Chazz Palminteri wrote A Bronx Tale in 1988, a powerful one-man play based on his childhood, where he portrayed 18 characters. Despite big offers, he refused to sell unless he could play Sonny and write the script. Robert De Niro saw the show, backed him, and the rest is history. Palminteri went on to write the film and Broadway musical, and has since appeared in 60+ films and 20+ TV series, earning Oscar and Emmy nominations.