Van Zandt in 2012, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 22, 1950
Ethnicity: Italian
Steven Van Zandt, also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey. He is a member of E Street Band, along with Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen. He played Silvio Dante on The Sopranos.
Lento is the maiden name of his mother Mary. He took the last name of his stepfather, William Brewster Van Zandt. His half-brother is actor, playwright, and producer Billy Van Zandt. Billy is married to actress and author Adrienne Barbeau.
Steven has said, “Though my last name is Dutch, I’m 100 percent Italian.”
His wife, Maureen Van Zandt, acted in several episodes of The Sopranos, playing the wife of his character.
Steven’s maternal grandfather was named Salvatore “Samuel” Lento. Salvatore was Italian, and was born, c. 1900, in Sambiase, now Lamezia Terme, Province of Catanzaro, Calabria.
Steven’s maternal grandmother was Ida/Adelaide Pepe (the daughter of Pasquale Pepe and Angelina/Angiolina Petrillo). Ida was born in Massachusetts, to Italian parents.
Sources: Steven’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Information on Steven’s Italian background – http://www.lametino.it
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