Luigi "Gino" Marturano was a stuntman, actor and master of arms, active in Italian films from the late 1940's until the late 1990's.
He was born on February 8th 1931 in Taranto, Italy.
Gino has said in a short interview on the Tototruffa site[1] that in 1942, aged 11, he was in a concentration camp, along with fellow future stuntman Benito Stefanelli.
He reportedly first appeared onscreen in Sciuscià (1946) at the age of 15, after which he learned his trade as a stuntman throughout the 1950's. The first definite identifications we have for Gino so far date from 1958, after which he worked steadily, scoring many smaller credited roles in peplums and westerns as well as a few master of arms credits. His last credited appearance in a film comes in 1997, with some later interview appearances in documentaries.
As far as is known Gino is still living at the time of writing.
I have found a number of previously undocumented roles for Gino, however in the interview he states having appeared in the very precise figure of 162 films (for which he said he still had all the contracts), which, if correct, means we still have a lot more to find. I think it could be highly probable that, at least in the 1950's, he appeared in a number of big battle scenes where, like Omero Capanna, he does not appear identifiably.
Since we have 6 titles where "Luigi Marturano" is credited, but cannot be found, it could be possible that there was a second actor who used the same name.
1. Short interview with Gino on the Tototruffa website
- Il pirata dello sparviero nero .... Soldier (uncredited)
- La zia d'America va a sciare .... Man in hotel nightclub (uncredited)
- Mia nonna poliziotto .... Member of the criminal gang (uncredited)
1959 - I Reali di Francia .... Juanito (credited)
- Il cavaliere del castello maledetto .... Soldier (uncredited)
- La sceriffa .... Jack (credited)
- La scimitarra del saraceno .... Pirate (uncredited)
- Nel segno di Roma .... Henchman (uncredited)
1960 - La dolce vita .... Pimp (uncredited)
- La regina delle Amazzoni .... Prisoner (uncredited)
- La Venere dei pirati .... Gico (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
1961 - Costantino il grande .... role? (credited)
- Goliath contro i giganti .... Ship crew member (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
- Gordon, il pirata nero .... Tarto (credited as "Gino Marturano")
- Nefertite, regina del Nilo .... Melad (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
1962 - Duello nella Sila .... Ventre (credited)
- Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo .... Messenger (uncredited)
1963 - D'Artagnan contro i 3 moschettieri .... Olimpia's bodyguard (uncredited)
- L'invincibile cavaliere mascherato .... Ortega (credited?)
- Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem .... Kanandurian (credited)
- Vino, whisky e acqua salata .... Submarine crew member (credited)
1964 - I tre sergenti del Bengala .... Soldier (uncredited)
- Jim il primo .... Texas (uncredited)
- La vendetta dei gladiatori .... Vilfredo's right hand man (credited)
- Sansone e il tesoro degli Incas .... Barracuda (credited)
1965 - Adiós gringo .... Murphy (credited as "Jean Martin")
- Berlino appuntamento per le spie .... Driver-henchman (uncredited as actor)
- La meravigliosa Angelica .... Rodogone (uncredited)
- The Agony and the Ecstasy .... Papal guard (uncredited)
- Un dollaro bucato .... Confederate henchman (credited as "Jean Martin")
1966 - 7 dollari sul rosso .... Ramon (credited)
- 1000 dollari sul nero .... Angry man in the bar (credited)
- Degueyo .... Poker player (uncredited)
- Per pochi dollari ancora .... Riggs henchman (uncredited)
- Un colpo da mille miliardi .... Gino (credited)
1967 - ...4 ..3 ..2 ..1 …morte .... Car salesman's henchman (uncredited)
- Un minuto per pregare, un istante per morire .... Kraut henchman (credited)
- Un poker di pistole .... Mexican bandit (uncredited)
- Wanted .... Joe (uncredited)
1968 - I quattro dell'Ave Maria .... Drake henchman (credited)
- Il marchio di Kriminal .... Captain (credited)
- Il pistolero segnato da Dio .... Coleman henchman (credited as "Marturano Luigi")
- La morte non ha sesso .... Henchman (uncredited)
- Un buco in fronte .... Garrincha (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
1969 - I vigliacchi non pregano .... Vigilante leader (credited)
- Kidnapping! Paga o uccidiamo tuo figlio .... Chaco (credited)
- Sette baschi rossi .... Camp commander (credited)
1970 - Angeli senza paradiso .... Ludwig's friend (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
- L'asino d'oro: processo per fatti strani contro Lucius Apuleius cittadino romano .... role? (uncredited)
- Le tigri di Mompracem .... Sambigliong (credited)
1972 - Camorra .... Henchman (uncredited)
- Jesse & Lester - Due fratelli in un posto chiamato Trinità .... Poker (credited)
- Padella calibro 38 .... Bullseye henchman (credited)
1974 - Chi sei? .... (credited as "Luigi Marturano", but not found)
- Le scomunicate di San Valentino .... Marcelino (uncredited)
- Le secret des Flamands (TV mini-series) Ep. 4 .... Roberto (credited)
- Roma rivuole Cesare (TV movie) .... Knife thrower (credited)
1975 - The Count of Monte-Cristo (TV movie) .... Fencing master (uncredited)
1976 - Milano violenta .... Doctor (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
- Vizi privati, pubbliche virtù .... (credited as "Luigi Marturano", but not found)
1977 - Kleinhoff Hotel .... (credited as "Luigi Marturano", but not found)
1978 - Melodrammore .... Gino, the street worker (credited)
1980 - S.H.E: Security Hazards Expert .... Major Danilo (credited)
1981 - The Salamander .... Manzini's bodyguard (uncredited)
1984 - The Last Days of Pompeii (1984 TV mini-series) Ep. 3 .... Gladiator (uncredited)
1985 - The Assisi Underground .... Nazi interpreter (credited as "Luigi Marturano")
1987 - Palla al centro .... (credited as "Luigi Marturano", but not found)
1989 - Il ricatto (TV series) Ep. 5 .... Commissioner (credited)
1991 - Year of the Gun .... (credited for Stunts as "Luigi Marturano", but not found)
1993 - La scalata (Tv miniseries, episodes : 2,5 & 6) ....Lalli's private chauffeur (credited)
1997 - Marquise .... (credited as "Luigi Marturano", but not found)
- L'America a Roma (1998) Documentary, credited as "Luigi Marturano", as interviewee
- Gordon, il pirata nero .... credited as master of arms, as "Luigi Marturano"
- Nefertite, regina del Nilo .... credited as fencing master as "Luigi Marturano"
1965 - Berlino appuntamento per le spie .... credited as master of arms as "Luigi Marturano"
1972 - La tecnica e il rito (TV movie) .... credited as master of arms
1973 - Il gatto di Brooklyn aspirante detective .... credited as assistant director
1974 - Roma rivuole Cesare (TV movie) .... credited as master of arms
1993 - Felipe ha gli occhi azzurri 2 (TV mini-series) Eps. 1-3 .... credited as master of arms
- Sciuscià (1946) ANICA. Gino reportedly made his debut in this film at the age of 15. I wasn't able to identify him, however there are are at least 60 teenage boys appearing as borstal inmates, so there's still a good chance that he's in there somewhere.
The following 3 titles are mentioned in the Tototruffa interview with Gino. Again I have been unable to recognise him, however these are all big-budget Hollywood productions including large battle and crowd scenes, so it's highly probable that, in a similar scenario to Omero Capanna, he is in them somewhere, but not identifiably. - Prince of Foxes (1949) Interview
- Quo Vadis (1951) Interview
- Helen of Troy (1955) Interview
- La meilleure part (Gli anni che non ritornano) (1955) IMDb
- Questa volta ti faccio ricco! (1974) IMDb as Production supervisor. May not appear
- Il lupo di mare (1987) ANICA
- Zorikan lo sterminatore (1964) Filmdb.it. Does not appear, at least not identifiably. Maybe mistaken for Mauro Mannatrizio?
- Il santo prende la mira (Le Saint prend l'affût) (1966) IMDb with no role. Searched for, not found.
- Ehi amico... c'è Sabata. Hai chiuso! (1969) IMDb as McCallum. There's no such role and Gino does not appear, agreed by Carlos.
- Un taxi mauve (1977) ANICA with no role. Gino is listed along with Giulio Maculani, but the chances that 2 Italian stuntmen would appear uncredited in a film shot in Ireland was minimal and they are nowhere to be found.
- La cicala (1980) ANICA as "Other truck driver". There are a few truck drivers in the film, but none of them look at all like Gino.