Career
Following in his father's footsteps, Zito became an amateur boxer and fought in New York Golden Gloves while working manual labor. In 1980, after assisting the bodyguards of actor Robert Conrad at a motorcycle convention, Zito began his own bodyguard agency. Named Charlie's Angels Bodyguard Services, Zito initially provided protection for actress Lorna Luft and later was hired by her half-sister Liza Minnelli. The actress recommended Zito's service to her plethora of celebrity acquaintances, allowing Zito to quickly develop contacts throughout Hollywood. Zito's clientele included celebrities such as Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Charles Bronson, Sylvester Stallone, Charlie Sheen and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Parlaying his connection, Zito began a career as a stuntman working on films such as Year of the Dragon, Hudson Hawk and The Rock. In 1996, after a meeting with producer Tom Fontana, Zito joined the HBO prison drama Oz as Italian wise guy Chucky Pancamo. Over the years Zito has alternated with stunt work and acting with credits for stunt work in films like Fifteen Minutes and acting roles in the film This Thing of Ours.
In 2003, Chuck Zito released his autobiography, Street Justice, co-authored with Joe Layden. In 2006, Zito expanded into radio with the show Chuck Zito's View on Howard Stern's Sirius Satellite Radio station.
In 2010, Chuck Zito filed a $5 million dollar lawsuit against the cable network FX, alleging that he had a development meeting with them in 2006 and he pitched the idea of an outlaw motorcycle group. He alleges that FX blew him off and then stole his idea, which became the FX show Sons of Anarchy. Chuck Zito will now be appearing in Season 5 of the show Sons of Anarchy. He also appeared in show creator Kurt Sutter's Discovery Channel documentary series, Outlaw Empires.
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