There’s a new mob man in Salem. Franco Lo Presti is playing Dante Vitali, Sami Brady’s Italian fiancé, who has ties to Ava’s notorious crime family on Days of our Lives.
What You Need to Know About Lo Presti
Born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Lo Presti has an impressive array of prime-time and movie credits. He’s perhaps best known for his role as Cliff Marleau on Heated Rivalry, the Canadian production currently available on HBO Max, as well as his starring roles in several Hallmark flicks, including Christmas Catch, The Love Club: Laurens Dream, and A Christmas Cookbook.
Want to know more about the actor? Here are seven things to know about Franco Lo Presti.
1. Truth be told, Lo Presti’s first passion wasn’t acting. He earned a Division I soccer scholarship to the University of Rhode Island. Upon graduation, he played semi-professional soccer in Italy’s Serie D and went on trial with Toronto FC. However, a hip injury ended his career in the sport.
2. Encouraged by his family and friends about his past pursuits in theater, Lo Presti segued to acting at the age of 26 when he began taking acting classes. It didn’t take long for him to discover a new purpose in life.
3. He’s a man of many talents. Lo Presti is also a singer-songwriter and guitarist. “I was a huge Elvis Presley fan,” he revealed during an interview with louisferreira.org, reflecting on his childhood.“My mom put me into lessons, but she put me into classical lessons, which I did not want to do. I wanted to be a rock ‘n’ roller. My mom was like, ‘Nope, I’m going to put you into classical… I studied classical guitar for about five years, until I was fed up with it… In high school, I had a couple of friends, [and] we started a punk band.”
4. Lo Presti’s musical talents landed him an appearance on Tú Sí Que Vales, Italy’s version of America’s Got Talent. He’s also connected to The Boss. He once opened for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band at a charity concert.
5. He has been happily married to actress Emily Alatalo since November 11, 2023. The couple met on the set of the film Christmas Catch. They also appeared together in two other movies: Crossroad Springs and Christmas Time Capsule.
6. Lo Presti credits his wife with helping him prepare for his role on Heated Rivalry, a drama series about two rival hockey stars who develop feelings for each other. “I learned how to properly skate thanks to my wife,” he told Us Weekly. “So I got a new skill in my back pocket there.”
7. When it comes to cheat foods, he has an affinity for one above all others. “I’m a massive ice cream fan,” Lo Presti told suzeebehindthescenes.com. “If there is an ice cream eating competition in the United States, I would 100 percent join, and nobody would be able to beat me in it.”
