His first film work was on
Mario Bonnard's
Les Derniers Jours de Pompéi (1959). Due to Bonnard's sudden illness,
Sergio Leone directed most of the film. Leone would later hire him for his own film projects. In addition to the typical on-set pyrotechnics and explosions (near the cast and crew), Leone would have him rig and totally destroy three full-size bridges (two wooden and one stone).
