Robert Anthony De Niro Jr., born on August 17th, 1943, in the Greenwich Village area of Manhattan, New York, U.S, is an actor, producer, and director, who holds both American and Italian citizenship, especially well-known for portraying gangsters. De Niro was cast as the young Vito Corleone in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.