Lino Ventura

Lino Ventura, born Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura on 14 July 1919 in Parma, was an Italian-born actor, philanthropist and professional wrestler who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was raised in Paris and wrestled professionally until an injury ended that career. He then turned to cinema, making his film debut as a gangster in Touchez pas au grisbi in 1954, and became one of the leading men of French film in the 1960s and 1970s, often playing tough characters on both sides of the law. He and his wife founded the charity Perce-Neige to aid disabled children and their parents. He died on 22 October 1987 and never took French citizenship.