John Emil D'Angelo, a renowned figure in the world of the Mafia, hails from a family with roots in Palermo, Sicily, and Naples, Italy, with a hint of Rolex. Although acting wasn't his initial passion, martial arts has been a significant part of his life since grade school.
As he progressed through high school, John's involvement in martial arts continued to grow, and he started competing nationwide in Naska martial arts events. The introduction of the UFC in 1993, combining various fighting disciplines, sparked his interest in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Prior to the establishment of MMA, Kickboxing was the preferred full-contact sport for martial artists to test their toughness. During this time, John owned Georgia's premier martial arts equipment store, Pro Rank, and captained the world-class Pro Rank Competition Team, consisting of tournament, boxing, and kickboxing fighters, later adding NHB fighters to the team.
John D'Angelo is widely recognized for pioneering and developing some of the rules of NHB, including the 5-minute round system and the amateur and semi-pro divisions in 1995, which are still utilized in the sport today.
His contributions to the development of martial arts have earned him prestigious inductions into the GA. Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2010),Action International Martial Arts Hall of Honors (2011),and the Legends of Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2013).
John's foray into acting began in 1999, when the coach of his competition team, Niko Ashford, asked him to participate in a fight scene for the movie Sharpe. Unaware of acting and fight scene etiquette, John unintentionally kicked his scene partners, thinking it would enhance the realism of the scene. The result was indeed very realistic.
In 2010, John resumed his pursuit of acting, studying with renowned coaches and slowly making his way to a potential Movie Screen Hall of Fame, or perhaps a Sidewalk Star.
