Robert DeNiro Look-Alike Arrested Conning Vietnam Vets
(EXCERPT) MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (AP) - A stunt double for Robert DeNiro was
accused by police of passing himself off as the actor to receive
celebrity discounts and film-making materials.
Joseph Manuella, 51, of Paramus, N.J., was charged Wednesday with two
counts of criminal impersonation and released on $100 bail, according
to State Police Investigator Andrew Werner.
Manuella told Vietnam veterans in Port Jervis, N.Y., near Middletown,
that he was filming a documentary about the war, Werner said. The
veterans, believing he was DeNiro, lent him props. He also received
celebrity discounts on lodging, Werner said.
Manuella, a former New York City firefighter, worked with DeNiro in
"The Fan" and "Great Expectations."
"I think the celebrity lookalike just wanted to be the celebrity,"
said Tom Harvey, an attorney for DeNiro.
There was no home phone number listed for Manuella. Police said he did
not have a lawyer when he was arrested.
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