J.J. Alfieri

James (JJ) Alfieri (born July 4, 1978) is a successful American restaurateur and nightclub operator who transitioned to acting, directing, producing and writing for film and television He is best known for a featured role in the True Adventures of Wolfboy, supporting role in Clover and a lead role and producer credit in the award winning Givers of Death, with several more projects in development and pre-production. JJ Alfieri was born on July 4, 1978 in Buffalo at Woman and Children's Hospital, the son of Amy Francis Millard a childhood actress from New York City and James Salvatore Alfieri a well known restaurateur and nightclub owner. His mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and his father is of Sicilian origin. His father's family hails from Vittoria, Sicily where His paternal cousin Arianna Occhipinti is one of Sicily's preeminent organic winemakers. JJ attended the prestigious St Joseph's Collegiate Institute college preparatory high school and went on to study English & Media Studies at SUNY Buffalo. He also attended the UB Summer Institute in Media Production, studying under film industry professionals including: Peter Riegert - actor (Animal House, Oscar, Sopranos) Alan Zweibel - writer (Saturday Night Live, Larry David Show, Curb Your Enthusiasm) Linda Reisman - producer (The Virgin Suicides, Affliction, Waking The Dead, Jeepers Creepers, Assasination Tango) Shep Gordon - Supermensch JJ worked as an intern at UBC2C Hollywood Media Symposium for industry professional Christine LaMonte, a former studio executive at Orion Pictures, Touchstone Films, Universal Pictures and Walt Disney Studios, and member of both the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences. For years, Alfieri has excelled in the Buffalo hospitality industry, beginning his career as a restaurant and nightclub operator in 2006 at the legendary family owned Crocodile Bar in Buffalo's world famous Chippewa entertainment district. From there he struck out on his own and over the next decade expanding his portfolio to include the Iconic Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar in Buffalo's historic Allentown entertainment district, and along with partner Paul Tsouflidis brought the food hall concept to Buffalo with the Expo Market food halls on Hertel Avenue and Main Street, as well as the first franchise of the locally famous Bocce Club Pizza, a nearly 75 year old Buffalo pizzeria. Alfieri also produced concerts featuring 30 plus Grammy winning or nominated musical acts and international recording artists including EPMD, Rob Bass, Afrika Bambaataa, Moe, Soulive, Snarky Puppy, Devon Allman and Rob Wasserman. It was his success in the restaurant and nightlife industry coupled with his background in Media Studies and production that led to his big break in the Summer of 2017. JJ Alfieri's love of acting began when he played the part of Laertes in a 5th grade production of Hamlet. In 2005 he started his own production company 3C Multimedia, where he produced a pilot called Discs with Norman Toy a writer on the MacGyver TV show. It was during the production of Discs that JJ first met Addison Henderson who would later become an important influence on JJ's cinematic career. JJ's love of music led him to produce early music videos for Dipset, Purple City Bird Gang, Conway, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher who went on to become highly acclaimed international recording artists. After limited success, he closed 3C Multimedia and focused on the restaurant and nightclub business. JJ's first on-screen appearance happened in 2006 when he landed a scene-stealing day-player role as a TV news reporter in Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, a cult classic by the king of low budget horror, Lloyd Kaufmen, founder of Troma Entertainment Film Studio. Years later, Alfieri caught his first big break in the movie business during the summer of 2016, when longtime friend and collaborator Addison Henderson came to Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar along with Chadwick Boseman as part of the Marshall film production in Buffalo. Alfieri reconnected with Henderson and made fast friends with Boseman. Suddenly his longtime interest in and desire to make movies became a real possibility. The next big break came in the summer of 2017. Czech director Martin Krejci met Alfieri when Krejci began frequenting JJ's nightclub, Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar while The True Adventures of Wolfboy crew was finishing up preproduction in Buffalo. And after a couple weeks of hanging around with Alfieri, Krejci offered Alfieri the opportunity to audition for a small part in Wolfboy. Alfieri was cast as a gas station clerk robbed at gunpoint by characters portrayed by Eve Hewson and Jaeden Martell. The part was small but memorable, as Krejci threw away the script and had Alfieri improvise all of his lines. Alfieri's strong performance led to him being cast as Gus, in Clover directed by Jon Abrahams starring Ron Perlman and Chazz Palminteri among other high profile Hollywood stars. Alfieri was fortunate to play opposite Chazz Palminteri in a one on one scene that propelled him from day player type roles to a leading role in his next film Givers of Death aka G.O.D. an award winning indie Sci-Fi thriller set in Buffalo during a pandemic in the future. Alfieri also produced with and starred alongside his old friend Addison Henderson. And he reunited with Clover co-star Louis Lombardi for a fantastic fight to the death scene. G.O.D. was critically acclaimed at film festivals and lead to Alfieri and Henderson collaborating on two projects in preproduction: a film, Haunted by Dr King, based on the MLK assasination conspiracy civil trial and a television series biopic, My Brother's Keeper, about the King of Punk Funk, Buffalo's own Rick James. Alfieri lives in Buffalo, NY his hometown while spending time in both NYC and LA. He was once married to Gabrielle Mattina but was divorced after a short period of time. Alfieri collaborates with his sister Gabrielle Millard Alfieri on various projects including co-writing the script of Haunted by Dr King with Addison Henderson. Alfieri's father is the owner of the 31 Club in Buffalo, a high end Supper Club. Alfieri's maternal cousin Jenny Gering was the costume designer for the third season of The Deuce. Alfieri's paternal cousin Christine LaMonte was an executive at Orion pictures and Walt Disney Corporation in the 1980's and 90's. Alfieri's maternal grandmother was the maid of honor in film critic Leonard Maltin's mother's bridal party.