"Thanks For The Memories" Award

Joe Mantegna has received critical acclaim for his award-winning and highly praised performances on the stage and in numerous film and television productions. He was awarded the Tony and Joseph Jefferson Awards for his role in David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross.  His long-standing association with Mamet includes the premieres of A Life in the Theatre, The Disappearance of the Jews and Speed The Plow on Broadway.  Mantegna has also directed a highly lauded production of Mamet's Lakeboat which enjoyed a successful theatrical run in Los Angeles and he later directed the film version. 

In the world of film, he has starred in over 80 films, among them The Godfather III, Alice, Celebrity, Liberty Heights, Bugsy, Forget Paris, Uncle Nino, Nine Lives, Searching for Bobby Fisher and Baby's Day Out.  He starred in the critically acclaimed Mamet films House of Games, Homicide, and Things Change, for which he received the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival.   Always the baseball fan, Joe conceived and co-wrote the Off-Broadway play Bleacher Bums, which earned him an Emmy when it was subsequently produced for television.   For his work in the HBO special The Rat Pack, he was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Dean Martin and received his second Emmy nomination for his role of Pippi De Lena in the CBS mini-series, The Last Don.  His latest Emmy nomination was for his work in the miniseries The Starter Wife. Other television credits include starring roles in the CBS series First Monday and Joan of Arcadia, and of course his seventeen year long recurring role as Fat Tony in The Simpsons, for which he reprised in the recently released feature film of the animated comedy. 
Born and raised in Chicago, he now lives in Los Angeles and currently stars as agent David Rossi on CBS’s hit drama Criminal Minds.  For more information, visit www.joemantegna.com.

Mr. Mantegna has done a great deal of work promoting patriotism and for the veterans over the years. He has participated in the coast-to-coast televised National Memorial Day Concert for eight years in a row, serving as co-host for the last four. Each year before the concert starts Joe visits in the audience to seek out the Gold Star Mothers Group, mothers who have lost a military son or daughter in service to our country. They hug and it's not uncommon to see all of them cry. The group can’t believe he takes the time to find them each year to talk and take pictures--and he does this just before he’s suppose to do a live TV show for millions and in front of a US Capitol Mall audience of some two hundred thousand people. He also spends time talking to anyone in uniform or wounded. He was the Grand Marshall in the Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC in 2008.

In 2004 and 2005, Mantegna was named Chairperson for the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  This organization helps focus public attention on VA medical centers with the goal of increasing the number of VA volunteers. He also has dedicated a great deal of time to New Directions Inc. a rehabilitation center for homeless vets located on the VA grounds in Los Angeles.  Has recorded numerous Public Service Announcements, donated hundreds of DVD and videos for their entertainment and hosted their fundraiser golf tournament for the last five years. He has visited VA Hospitals in Washington DC and Los Angeles spending hours at a time talking with the patients and staff and passing out phone cards so guys could call home.

Although Joe did not serve in the military, he comes from a family with a very strong military background. Four uncles on his mothers’ side all served in WW II and all returned home safe. His Uncle Tony was a bombardier, was shot down over Italy and taken prisoner of war for over a year. His Uncle Jack was an aid to Admiral Halsey on the USS Enterprise. His Uncle Willy was in Patton’s Third Army and received a Purple Heart and five battle Stars. His Uncle Joe was stationed at Pearl Harbor. His father-in-law served in the Army during WWII and was wounded in battle. His father was unable to serve as he was in a hospital with TB for most of the war.

In 2007 Joe was responsible for a donation of fifteen thousand dollars to Operation Iraqi Children. This money was used to purchase school supplies that could be distributed by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan helping them gain the confidence of the people there. In turn, those people now help the troops by warning them of roadside bombs and ambushes.

His wife Arlene owns a restaurant in Burbank called Taste Chicago, and on more than one occasion Joe has hosted a lunch or dinner with some Marines who happen to be in town or some other military persons stationed near by.  Joe has always felt grateful to all the men and women who serve our country and will always help them whenever and wherever he is able.