Craig Vincent(I)

Craig Vincent was born and raised in upstate Endicott, New York. Probably best known for being the birth-place of I.B.M. and the Endicott-Johnson shoe factory as well as being home to such notable celebrities such as Rod Serling, Amy Sedaris and cartoonist Johnny Hart. Craig's mother Mary and father Earl, both loving and dedicated parents, strongly believed the American Dream could be realized through hard work and loyalty to the company they both loved working for which was I.B.M. Having worked there part time on summer break from high school, Craig learned rather quickly that corporate life was simply not for him.

The stress of corporate demands which contributed to his father's untimely death at forty-three years, convinced Craig that a much more suitable and creative pursuit would be more appropriate and awaiting him somewhere else. After the trauma of losing their beloved father, both Craig and his sister, Sandra, were raised primarily by his loving mother and doting maternal grandparents - Mary and Joseph Salamida. Hard-working Italian immigrants who came to New York through Ellis Island from Bari and Alberobello, Italy to escape the Fascist Dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in the early 1900s.

While on college spring break in Las Vegas, local casting director, Charlene Goldman, noticed Craig walking through the set of a movie she was casting at Caesars Palace and approached him with an offer of work as an extra. After two weeks of steady employment on the film and getting to observe actors such as Omar Sharif, Victoria Principal, Jose Ferrer and Hope Lange, Craig had found his calling and immediately became smitten with the idea of becoming an actor. He had quickly endeared himself to some of the supporting cast of the film, and they took him under their wing. One such actor, who would become a mentor and a friend was acclaimed method actor and Lee Strasberg Theatre Director, Joseph Bernard.

Craig began studying with Bernard at his studio in Las Vegas a few months after the film had wrapped, when he decided to move out from New York and leave the confines of a possible fate of working at I.B.M. for the rest of his life. Las Vegas, Nevada in the early 1980s was the perfect place for a young and naive twenty-year-old to learn about life and he would admit years later that he got "one hell of an education" there. Craig learned early on about the hierarchy that ruled Sin City at that time and their young, rich and spoiled progeny who seemed to believe that their money, power and influence could buy and control anybody.

Many of these "Junior Mob Men" as Craig liked to call them respected only money and power, and since he had neither, quickly gained a reputation for never backing down from a fight, no matter whether they were "connected" guys or not. Because of his sincere, kind and easy-going nature and good looks, he was a target for all the local bullies and bar-room and casino brawls became common for him. This strong defensive behavior was not how he was raised, but it was either adapt and learn how to be good with his fists, or be swallowed up and used as some bully's punching bag. Vegas was a tough and close-knit city at that time, and the local people were leery of outsiders coming in and threatening their turf. Craig's reputation of never backing down caught the attention of several powerful people, and one powerful family in particular took him under their wing and treated him as a surrogate member. What he didn't know until many, many years later, was that this surrogate family of his who were extremely wealthy and politically connected, were also associated with many nefarious underworld figures that secretly ran things in Vegas at the time.

After a short time working as a blackjack dealer, and some stand out roles in local theatre productions, Craig was encouraged by Joe Bernard to move to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career full-time. Lacking theatrical representation, Craig continued to study (when he could afford classes), and maintained numerous jobs around L.A. such as a host at the world-famous Chippendales night club on Overland Avenue. Continuously restless and never quite finding any job that was fulfilling or creatively satisfying as the acting profession would be for him, Craig landed an agent and booked the very first role he auditioned for.

Career-wise, even though he honed his craft and was known to be a competent and reliable professional, many of the roles that he auditioned for were nothing earth-shattering or possible life-changing opportunities, so he struggled with trying to find the right material that would elevate him to the next level. Those opportunities never seemed to come very often and Craig became disenchanted with the business. He loved the creative process, and the professionals he got to work with, but the material he was offered didn't interest him, so he passed on many opportunities that would allow him to become a steady working actor.

Struggling to stay positive, and never losing sight of his passion for the craft, Craig has continued to keep his faith that some day he will be allowed to perform in a role that would allow his talent to shine.