Carmine Giovinazzo
A versatile artist who brought a grounded, street-smart intensity to his role as a forensic detective on a hit television series.
Born 1973 (age 53)·American actor·Birthday: August 24·Generation X
Biography
Born in 1973 in Richmond Hill, Queens, Carmine Giovinazzo grew up with a passion for the arts that extended far beyond acting. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, but his creative path was anything but linear. Before landing his defining role as the sharp, tattooed Detective Danny Messer on 'CSI: NY' in 2004, he worked as a boxer and a construction worker, experiences that lent an authentic grit to his performances. For nine seasons, he was a central figure in the show's forensic investigations, his character's personal history as a reformed delinquent adding depth to the procedural format. Off-screen, Giovinazzo is a dedicated painter and musician, exhibiting his abstract art and playing in a band, demonstrating a restless creative spirit that transcends his television fame.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Carmine was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carmine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Carmine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Detective Danny Messer for nine seasons on the CBS television series 'CSI: NY'.
- Exhibited his abstract expressionist paintings in galleries in Los Angeles and New York.
- Performed as a vocalist and guitarist for the rock band 'The Joneses'.
- Authored the screenplay for the 2000 independent film 'The Delivery'.
- Studied method acting at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.
Did You Know?
He is a skilled amateur boxer and trained in the sport for many years.
His artwork has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions.
He is of Italian descent and grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Queens, New York.
He is also a published poet.
“I'm from Queens, and that's a character all by itself.”
