palminteri was born on may 15, 1952, in the bronx, the son of rose, a homemaker, and lorenzo palminteri, a bus driver. he was raised in the belmont neighborhood of the bronx. palminteri is of sicilian origin, his grandparents, calogero palminteri and rosa bonfante, married in 1908, immigrated to the united states in 1910 from menfi in the province of agrigento, sicily.