... the FACTS

Born: Rome, Italy.

Resides: Los Angeles, CA (since 94)

Birth date: 7-30-71

Sign: Leo

Height: 6'

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Green

Family: Only child. Parents still live in Italy

Ethnicity: Italian

Status: Never married, no children

Want children: One day, yes

Nonsmoker

Education: "After I graduated from high school, I studied Italian literature at the University of Rome. I was hoping to become a writer. At the time I used to write poetry and short stories, now I write scripts so I still have that passion."

Occupation: "Actor. Played Franco Kelly on Days of Our Lives Currently in Angels and Demons, My Father's Will, Persons Unknown.":

Former jobs: A policeman in Italy for 2 1/2 years. I always had in my DNA a sense of protection, I guess, towards people. When I became a police officer, I immediately applied to become a designated driver. You don't have it here in the U.S., but in Italy, in the police cars, they always go in three. Two in the front, one in the back. The one is a skilled driver and the other two are extra. You really have to drive your car over there because in a speed chase situation, we don't have the support of helicopters and stuff like that, so you really have to chase them down."

What is My Father's Will: "I'm the lead of the movie. I star with Ione Skye, Talia Shire and Ron Silver. It's a beautiful romantic comedy that I'm very proud of. We shot it in Manhattan, NY. It's the story of a rich self-made man who's enjoying the money, wealth and the fame with cars and women too much. Before dying, his father's last wish was to get away from his wealth and everything in order to find his true love. His father said, `If I die, you have to promise me that you'll go far away for one month and travel and you'll find what you're looking for.' So he dies, and I go to NY for a month with nothing and I find true love. It's kind of a love story at the end of the day. But it's very cute, very beautifully done. It's an  independent producer who wrote it and produced it in association with Yari Film Group, the people who produced Crash and The Illusionist."

What's coming up: "I'm currently working as a recurring character on a Fox series called Persons Unknown. It's created by Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie who wrote The Usual Suspects and Valkayrie. It's a very good show, actually. I'm very excited and proud of it too. That one will debut in summer or Fall."

... on HIMSELF

Strengths: "One of my best qualities is my humor. I don't take myself seriously and I like to joke around a lot. And because of my looks, some people think I'm such a tough guy and macho man, but I'm very sensitive actually because I grew up with women. I didn't have a father so I grew up with my mom, my grandmother and my aunt."

"I'm very caring and I'm very generous, that's what I hear from people. And I like to help people. It's in our DNA if you're a bad guy or a good guy and I think I'm a good guy. Some people just were born to help or to destroy, you know what I'm saying. Like to become cops or criminals and I think I have that in me, because I still miss it sometimes. If I see something going on in the street, I will go after it and try to make it right. But you know what, it helps with my acting because I notice everything, I really study everything and I like that."

Weakness: "Sweets. I love sweets. I like everything, from ice cream to cakes to any thing, anything goes. As far as personality goes, I'm impulsive and that's a weakness I think because sometimes I don't think enough and I just react. But throughout the years, I try to think more and to let things go and take the next day and deal with it."

Others may not see: "People judge me too often, because of my hard looks. I'm not saying they're afraid of me but they say, `you're so intense.' But I'm not that tough actually, I'm very, very sensitive."

I've been known to ... "be a crazy driver, let me tell you. I can race motorcycles and cars. That was what I was really famous in Italy for. One time I took my best friend on a ride in the canyon and now he knows that I'm a really good and crazy driver at the same time. He was safe but he was scared at the same time."

Interests: "Writing, I like to write poetry. I write when I feel the inspiration, when I feel the time is right. I like to create stories that then can be turned into screenplays, into movies. My stories always have a message to make things better among the community, Also my hobby is my vintage car that I have in my garage, my `67 Cadillac and my Harley Davidson."

"And I love to collect rings, so I have a lot of rings. Every time I travel. I buy a ring. It doesn't have to be brand names, just normal rings. I have to feel the vibe, if the vibe is right, I'll buy it. Every time I look at them, it's like this is Mexico, this is Cuba, this Italy, this is Bulgaria. If I see a ring that I like and it belongs to that place, then it's good enough for me. I wear a lot of rings."

"I like to be outdoors, I like the beach. I box. I used to play tennis a long time ago. Not so much anymore. Every time, I'm on my motorcycle, I just really feel I'm really out there, feeling the wind and everything."

Turn-ons: "It's funny that you ask this question because a lot of people nowadays, they cannot find their happiness, you know, and it's very difficult to find happiness with all this technology and money and toys. The thing that really makes me happy and turns me on is when I'm back in my home in Italy which is like a medieval village and it's surrounded by nature. There's nothing, not even a house, nothing, there's just wilderness, the woods, a river, that's it, that makes me happy. Every time, I'm down, I think, `oh my gosh, summertime I'm going to be there,' that's it. I go every summer. Over there, my cell phone doesn't even work, and I don't have a land line. I love it. I love nature a lot, so to me that's heaven and I can have fun with nothing. Just going to the river, fishing, taking my canoe. I love it. Out here in LA, I like to smoke cigars actually, so when I'm in LA, I like to just smoke a good cigar and have a good coffee, and I'm happy. I'm a very simple guy. I don't like clubbing, I don't like to go out a lot. I like to eat, so good food.  I'm a good cook. And smoke a good cigar and a have a good coffee. That's what I'm planning to do after the interview, go to the Coffee Bean down the street."

You mentioned that you were a good cook, do you cook for your dates: "Sometimes I do, but you have to really date somebody in order to cook for them because you can't just approach a woman and say, `hey come home, I'll cook you a dish.' She's going to look at you weird, I don't know you."

What's your best meal: "I don't have a best meal, I can pretty much cook anything that I want because I grew up in a restaurant. My grandfather had a famous Italian restaurant in Rome. If you asked me for a recipe, I wouldn't know how to provide that because I just go with the flow. I just put ingredients and I create."

Turn-offs: "Ignorance, that's the biggest one that really upsets me. And when people jump to conclusions because they're ignorant, that's a big turnoff. And also judgmental, when people judge others without really knowing you or the situation.".

Spirituality: "I believe in being a good person. And I believe that you should pray to God or whatever you think is up there and just be a good person. Don't use it as an excuse. If you want to be a good person, you have to do it because you really mean it, not because some religion tells you to do it, so that my beliefs on religion. And as far as spiritual, I don't think I'm spiritual, to be honest with you. I believe that we have to be good people now, like on this earth and just leave whatever is up there, up there. Because our actions are in our hands. And it's very easy for people to use excuses as `oh,  I did a bad thing but tomorrow God is going to forgive me.' And we have to leave the present in the present. I grew up in a Catholic school. I think that it's up to us to really make a difference, you know."

Fashion sense: "I'm very easy. You know why, because I like jeans, boots  and a T-shirt. That's all I wear. I really suck. I mean don't get me wrong, if I have an event to go to, I do have my suits but I like my vintage like my motorcycle jacket, a leather jacket and jeans and my boots. I like to be very comfortable."

Staying healthy: "I do my boxing training every day. I watch what I eat. Very simple, I don't exaggerate with anything, everything in excess is bad for you. I love sweets and I have to watch it."

What touches my soul: "When somebody's kind. Kindness is very sweet. People who are thoughtful. It doesn't have to be big things. I think everybody's capable to impress you with big things, but I think it's the subtle little things that you think they're not noticeable, I notice those things. And those little things, they really really get to me. Even like a thank you would be thoughtful. Some people take you for granted. Even like going to the movies, if you open the door for somebody, they just assume you were there to open their door and then just enter. A lot of times, I do things for people and you don't even receive a thank you, or a smile, nothing."

... on WOMEN

I first notice ... "the smile. I like a woman who has a beautiful smile that really comes from the heart. And not a fake smile. That's very important. You can tell. There's not like a book on smiles, but you can tell, you can feel it. If somebody's really truly smiling at you or the kind of phony smile that some people put on to just go by and say ok I smiled at you goodbye, have a nice day. So the smile is very important and then the eyes are very important. Because you know they say the eyes are the mirror of your soul, I do believe that actually. Well, that's at the first approach if I see a woman in a cafe or a restaurant, and then of course when you do talk to them, they have to have a sense of humor. I don't like women who don't have a sense of humor. I'm really a jokester - I like to joke around a lot. I like to tell jokes."

Attention-getter: "If a woman is attracted to you and you're attracted to them, you're going to end up looking at each other at one point. I think that's the first step. And  I also like a simple hello, how are you, very normal approach. It would work for me and for her. Just normal basic stuff. I mean, Hi, how are you, and then you take it from there, you see right away if you click or not."

Ideal woman: "Sense of humor. They must love nature, they have to be really an outdoor kind of person, they have to love animals, because I love animals and they must love motorcycles because I do love them. I'm not saying that they have to ride on my motorcycle every day with me but once in awhile it would be nice to take your girlfriend on a motorcycle ride. You have to share your passions. And also there's a lot of compromise in a relationship so I would compromise that too. But I don't think you should compromise too much because then if a woman would come along and say get rid of your motorcycle, that would be an extreme, and in the long run, you're always going to resent that. I'm pretty easy going.  To me the basics are sense of humor, loves nature, animals, and I would like to have a family oriented person because I'm very attached to my family.".

I can't resist a woman who ... "cooks. You know what, I found that maybe here in the past 15 years, I found the women don't cook that much anymore. Some of them don't really know how to cook, nothing. So I would love a woman who knows how to cook, yeah."

Ideal date:  "On a date, ok, I love the movies so I go to the movies most of the time. Like a nice dinner, then maybe a movie so you get to know each other during dinner. I don't like to go to scenic places because I really like to focus on the person and to really spend quality time and hear what she has to say. I don't like noisy or crowded places. Impress you because they're fancy places, I won't do that."

Do you date a lot: "I don't date a lot but I meet a lot of people. I'm very open. So if somebody approaches me and I have fun with them, then yes, I date. But otherwise, I'm happy with myself."

I'd call a woman back after a first date ... "if I had a nice date. If we had a miserable date, I don't think so. But you know what, it's never happened that I don't call a woman back actually. I'll always give a second chance because the first date, she could be nervous. I could be nervous. Sometimes you're not really yourself. I always try to be myself but because I'm really out there and very straightforward, some people are very intimidated by that. I'm not saying I'm very secure with myself but after 37 years living in Italy, being a cop, being this and that, I pretty much know what I want and what I'm looking for. I'm very straight forward, I don't want to waste any time. And I'm not out there to play games or to impress women and to present myself to be somebody else. So I  have to contain myself a little bit because some women could be intimidated by that. So far I was always lucky, I guess, I've dated women who have lasted. If I find a girl that I like and she's real, why not, yes."

I'd never date a woman who ... "smokes a lot of cigarettes."

Are you romantic: "I could be. I don't force it. If it comes natural, then yes, when you're forcing something, it's the worst."

How I show I care: "With little things, little thoughts. Being consistent and always being there for them. I think the thing is you can't really show people how much you care about them in a short time. You really have to date them and they have to know you little by little. Because anybody can come up to you and say oh, I care about you, I'm going to show you. And then it's not going to be real. Nobody can show you anything, until you really get to know them and spend time with them. In the long run, you're going to see really the true colors if they're consistent. Because at the beginning, everybody will bring you flowers and will take you to the best places and try to impress you left and right but then after maybe a few months or few years, you have to see at that point if the guy is consistent. I think to really see the true feelings, you have to be consistent. You have to see that that person is always there, he's always done that. It's difficult, I mean it's not easy. I'm very straight forward with the person. I always say, hey you know what, if we're dating, we're dating slowly. I want to get to know you. And I don't know where this is going. We could be movie buddies for awhile. And then maybe we find out that we're really really on to something and then we become boyfriend and girlfriend. But you can't just date somebody and say oh my gosh, move in, do this, do that, no. I mean it could happen that you find your soul mate but it's very rare."

What I wish women understood more about men: "With women, once they get burned they really hold grudges a little bit more and they put their guard up and usually they make you suffer a little bit if you're the next guy. First of all, it always takes two, like I said to my friends, hey it's his fault to be like that but it's your fault to believe in it, so it always takes two. And once the relationship ends, you have to just move on and just learn the lesson. Don't lose the lesson, just learn the experience and the next time be a little wiser but still you have to be open because the next guy could be the guy. And sometimes I notice the women they have bad experience, they close up a lot."

... on RELATIONSHIPS 

On relationship/marriage:  "I'd like a family one day, as soon as I find the right one, yes ..."

Is a relationship important to you: "Yes, it is important, I think a man needs a woman and a woman needs a man. I think it's very important. If it's not the right one, it's pointless to be in a relationship just to be in one."

What I love most about being in a relationship: "When you're in a good relationship what I think should happen and not very often happens, there's a trust environment that you feel comfortable, you feel protected, you trust the other person, he's there to help you, you're there to help her and it's kind of like a family, even though you're not married, but still, it's kind of like you're comfortable. Your problems are out there and then when you step into the house, you know that your problems are out there but inside the house you have no problems, and actually you have an ally. So that's what should happen when you're in a good relationship. But bad relationships, which I've had too, it's like when your problems are out there and then you step into the house and there's more problems. Maybe the trust is not there and maybe the relationship is not healthy, so that's not a good relationship. And now I've learned after many years to get out of it right away, like I don't put up with it. Your home should be the sanctuary where you go after your work, or a bad day that you had, you go there and you relax and you put everything behind. If you have a bad relationship, then you find an unhealthy sanctuary."

Top relationship keys: "First of all, you have to trust the other person, you can't lie and you can't start a relationship based on lies, so you have to be very honest and straightforward. Basically you have to come clean, and say this is who I am. You can't start a relationship based on this is who I am but I'm not really that person because you'll find out in three months who I really am. So I think trust is very important. Now, if you base a relationship on a lie, then you find yourself in trouble later on. So once you break the trust, it's very, very hard to recover from that. I think that's the main ingredient of a good healthy relationship. I'm always myself, I always tell people I'm very simple, this is what you see right now, boots, jeans and a T-shirt."

A woman in a relationship with me can expect ... "First of all, I'm very loyal and I'm very protective. That's what she's going to get  If you're loyal to me, I will never stray you or leave you stranded by yourself."

What I expect: "Same thing, I expect trust and honesty and loyalty."

When I'm in love, I ... "feel great. I feel alive."

What makes me feel close to a woman: "Her past - where she's coming from."

Greatest relationship lesson: "Follow your instincts. Right away, if you see that there's something going on, there's something going on. If it doesn't feel right, get out. Because you're going to get out sooner or later anyway, so better do it sooner than later."

... on SEX 

I feel my sexiest  ... "I never thought about it, thank God. I don't want to sound cocky if I say all the time. But pretty much, I feel normal sexy all the time, yeah."

Most sensual part of a woman's body: "I like the stomach."

Sexiest thing a woman can wear in private: "I think lingerie is sexy."

Surefire way to seduce me: "Just to talk to me, that's it."

... on LIFE

Making my mark: "With my work ... that's the only thing that we leave behind. If you can touch the other through our work, then that's the only thing that's going to be left behind. Nobody will remember you unless you leave a mark and the only way to leave a mark is to do something for the community. So through your work, you leave a mark."

Responsibility to society: "I think each one of us has a responsibility because we're all part of it. And as long as we do something to bring some kind of joy to the society. I think, in this life at the end of the day, we have to be happy. We turned our world into this machine where we work and make money and buy things and we're forgetting that we were here just to live. Do you know what I'm saying? Just to really live on the earth. Then we developed and created what we created but at the end the day, I think we have to live and we have to be happy, joyful inside." 

I must ... "travel the world, and definitely I want to  leave a mark and I want to raise good kids."

Best advice received:  "Just to forget about it. And that applies to a lot of things. Just let it go."

Best advice I've given a woman: "Follow your heart. Whatever makes you happy, just go ahead and grab it. You have to really, really grab it. Because a lot of people think, especially women, that if they sit comfortably in this situation, it's going to change. Nothing's gong to change. You have to go after your joy, You have to really go after it and just grab it. As you see it, you grab it."

... on HIS FAVORITE THINGS

Movie: "The Graduate."

Book: "The Alchemist."

Music: "Classic Rock."

Food: "A little bit of everything but what I really like is pasta."

... final THOUGHTS

Wheels: "67 Cadillac, baby blue and white. I restored it little by little. It took me 10 years. My first Harley was in `96. I ride it everywhere. I'm not one of those guys who takes the bike on a Sunday to go to the canyon and come back. I ride it every day just to go to the grocery store. I like to be on two wheels."

That's even more intimidating, with your looks and then you get off a Harley, I don't know who's going to approach you. "Yeah, you're right. Nobody. ;-)"

Pets: "Tarzan, 10-year-old long-hair dachshund."

Tattoos: "I do have tattoos, yeah, I like tattoos. I have 5 tattoos, let's leave it at that."

Always in my refrigerator: "There's always meat. I watch what I eat so cranberry juice, water and that's it."

I'd change places for 24 hours with ... "my dog. Why? He doesn't do anything. There's no worries, no bills, nothing. He's so happy, loved by everyone. You should see when we walk the street, all these girls going up to him and caressing him and scratching him and holding him. It's the best life, so cute, you know."

Celeb I' love to take on a date: "Oh, there's so many. I don't have a favorite but I really like Jessica Biel when I saw her in the Illusionist. I like that she can be like really the girl next door, like really natural. And, oh my gosh, the other night, I saw Rhianna, but I see her at the gym all the time because we go to the same gym, so she's very beautiful, wow."

Me in a word: "Wild. I like really to be out there in nature like a wild beast. hahaha."