by Jill Leovy

Louis DiGiaimo, an Emmy-winning casting director who made his name with "The Godfather" — and whose New York sensibilities flavored a string of successful Hollywood films and TV shows — has died. DiGiaimo, a son of Italian immigrants who lived all his life in his native New Jersey, died in Oakland in that state Dec. 19. He suffered complications from a stroke in May, said Lee DiGiaimo, his wife of 53 years. He was 77.

He specialized in discovering unknown actors who would inject a jolt of authenticity into character roles. He consciously sought types who wouldn't seem California-ish, he once said. New York's street scene was his natural habitat; he knew how to draw out its talent — to select performers who evoked its distinct ethnic mix and attitudes.

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Source: http://www.latimes.com/