Lorraine Braccio is an Italian-American businesswoman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She is the founder and CEO of Braccio Enterprises, a holding company with interests in real estate, hospitality, and health and wellness. She is also the founder of The Braccio Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to families in need.
Braccio Enterprises
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Lorraine Braccio began her career in the hospitality industry. She eventually transitioned into real estate, and in 2009, she founded Braccio Enterprises. The company has since acquired and developed properties in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
Active Philanthropist
In addition to her work with Braccio Enterprises, Lorraine Braccio is an active philanthropist. She is the founder of The Braccio Foundation, which provides financial assistance to families in need. The foundation has helped families with medical bills, utility bills, rent, and other expenses.
Lorraine Braccio is also a supporter of several other charitable organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the American Red Cross.
What Inspired You to Become a Businesswoman & Entrepreneur?
I’ve always been a very driven and ambitious person. I’ve always had a strong desire to be successful and to make a difference in the world. When I was younger, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew that I wanted to be my own boss and have my own business. I’ve always been very interested in business and I’ve always had a mind for business. So, it was only natural for me to become a businesswoman and entrepreneur.
What Inspired You to Start Braccio Enterprises?
I started Braccio Enterprises because I saw a need in the marketplace for a holding company that could provide a broad range of services to its clients. I saw an opportunity to create a company that could offer a one-stop-shop solution for businesses and individuals who need assistance with real estate, hospitality, and health and wellness.
John F. Kennedy High School
Lorraine Bracco was born on October 2, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York, into an Italian-American family. Her father, Salvatore Bracco, Sr., was a pharmacist, and her mother, Eileen (née Molyneux), was a waitress. Bracco has two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary. Bracco grew up in Westbury, on Maxwell Drive on Long Island, and attended John F. Kennedy High School.
Episode of the Television Series Taxi
She began acting in a school play at the age of seven and by the age of 10, she had appeared in an off-Broadway play. Her first television appearance was as a student on The Electric Company in 1971. She played a role in one episode of the television series Taxi in 1974 and took acting classes at HB Studio upon her arrival in New York City so that she could be considered for roles on stage and in television commercials. Bracco attended the High School of Performing Arts, where she studied acting.
After graduation, she began her career as an actress and appeared in several films and television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Some of her early film roles include The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979), Someone to Watch Over Me (1987), and Once Upon a Time in America (1984). She also appeared in the television series Kojak (1975–78) and Equal Justice (1990–91).
Role of Karen Hill
In 1990, Bracco appeared in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas, in which she played the role of Karen Hill, the wife of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta). The film was a critical and commercial success, and Bracco’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1994, Bracco starred in the television series The Sopranos, in which she played the role of Dr. Jennifer Melfi, the psychiatrist of mob boss Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini). The show was a huge success, and Bracco’s performance earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Since the end of The Sopranos, Bracco has appeared in several films, including The Last Kiss
HBO Series
Lorraine Braccio is an American actress who has appeared in numerous films and television series. She is best known for her roles as Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the HBO series The Sopranos, for which she won an Emmy Award, and as Karen Hill in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination.
Daughter of Eileen
Bracco was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eileen (née Molyneux), a homemaker, and Salvatore Bracco, Sr., a marine engineer. She has two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary. Bracco grew up in Westbury, on Maxwell Drive on Long Island, and graduated from Hicksville High School in 1972. Her father was of Italian descent, while her mother’s ancestry is English and Irish. Bracco is fluent in English, French, and Italian.
In 1974, Bracco moved to France, where she began her acting career. She met her future husband, actor Harvey Keitel, while filming Martin Scorsese’s 1977 film New York, New York, in which she played his girlfriend. They married in 1983, and have a daughter, Stella, born in 1985.
Bracco’s film roles include Someone to Watch Over Me (1987), Jungle Fever (1991), Medicine Man (1992), and The Basketball Diaries (1995). She has also appeared in such television series as Tales from the Darkside, Miami Vice, and The Sopranos, on which she played Dr. Jennifer Melfi.
Golden Globe Award
In 2001, Lorraine Braccio received critical acclaim for her performance in the film In the Bedroom, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award.
Bracco has also been active as a producer, with her company, Bra
Lorraine Braccio was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Eileen (née Molyneux), a homemaker, and Salvatore Bracco, Sr., a marine engineer. She has two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary. Bracco grew up in Westbury, on Maxwell Drive on Long Island, and graduated from Hicksville High School in 1972. Her father was
Lorraine Bracco is an American actress, author, and television producer. She is best known for her roles as Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the HBO series The Sopranos, and Karen Friedman Hill in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas.
Lorraine Bracco was born on October 2, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York, to an Italian-American family. She is the eldest of four children and has three brothers. Her father, Salvatore Bracco, Sr., was a dentist, and her mother, Eileen (née Molyneux), was a secretary. Bracco grew up in West Brighton, Staten Island.
Martin Scorsese Film Goodfellas
Bracco attended the High School of Performing Arts where she studied acting. She then attended the Actors Studio where she studied with Lee Strasberg. She has appeared in numerous films and television series throughout her career. Some of her notable roles include, Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the HBO series The Sopranos, and Karen Friedman Hill in the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas.
Final Thoughts:
Lorraine Braccio has been married and divorced three times. She has two daughters, Stella and Lily, from her first marriage to Daniel Guerard. She is currently married to actor Harvey Keitel.
Bracco is a successful actress, author, and television producer. She has won numerous awards throughout her career, including an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.