Overview

• Staiola died on June 4, 2025, in Rome at 85 after suffering complications from a fall.
• Vittorio De Sica discovered him walking home from school and cast him as Bruno Ricci without a formal audition.
• His debut at age 8 in the 1948 film remains a celebrated pillar of Italian neorealist cinema.
• He appeared in about a dozen films, including The Barefoot Contessa, before retiring to teach mathematics and serve as a land registry clerk.
• He recalled that fame as a child actor brought restrictions that prevented him from playing with peers, later calling the experience a real burden.