Personal life

An Italian American

Italian American

An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...

, Ferlito was born in Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. Her father died when she was three. Her mother and stepfather own a hair salon in Brooklyn. Her first child, a boy, was born, in September 2007.

Career

She is known for her roles in The Sopranos

The Sopranos

The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

, Man of the House

Man of the House (2005 comedy film)

Man of the House is a 2005 crime comedy film directed by Stephen Herek, written by John J. McLaughlin and Scott Lobdell, and starring Tommy Lee Jones. The main plot revolves around Lt...

, Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...

's Death Proof

Death Proof

Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car...

, for her role as Claudia Hernandez during 24s third season, but she is mostly known for her role as Detective Aiden Burn

Aiden Burn

Aiden Burn is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: NY portrayed by Vanessa Ferlito.-Overview:Aiden is a Brooklyn native who has the ability to adapt to new situations very quickly and has a love and drive for her job similar to that of Sara Sidle on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.She...

 on CSI: NY

CSI: NY

CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...

. She chose to leave the show because she wanted to focus on movies and theatre.

Ferlito gave birth to her first child, a son, in September 2007. She was inspired by her vegan makeup artist Kara to become a vegetarian, and is a supporter of animal rights

Animal rights

Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...

, and an active member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...

 (PETA). Even though she is of Italian descent she often plays Latinas

Hispanic and Latino Americans

Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

 on TV and in films.

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	On Line On Line On_Line is a 2002 drama directed by Jed Weintrob and executive produced by Richard D. Titus and Tavin Marin Titus. The film was selected to world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically, on DVD and television world-wide....	Jordan Nash
	25th Hour 25th Hour 25th Hour is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and is based on the novel The 25th Hour written by David Benioff, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox...	Lindsay Jamison
2003	Undefeated Undefeated Undefeated is a 2003 HBO television movie starring John Leguizamo.-Storyline:This film follows a boxer who climbs the ranks as a featherweight fighter who has never lost a match. The story starts in Queens, New York with Leguizamo training and then fighting in a Golden Gloves boxing match...	Lizette Sanchez	TV movie
2004	Spider-Man 2 Spider-Man 2 Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...	Louise
	The Tollbooth The Tollbooth The Tollbooth is a coming-of-age film directed by Debra Kirschner about a young artist struggling to forge her own identity in the big city, while her Jewish parents keep watch from just over the bridge in Brooklyn.-Review:...	Gina
2005	Man of the House Man of the House (2005 comedy film) Man of the House is a 2005 crime comedy film directed by Stephen Herek, written by John J. McLaughlin and Scott Lobdell, and starring Tommy Lee Jones. The main plot revolves around Lt...	Heather
	Shadowboxer Shadowboxer Shadowboxer is a 2005 thriller directed by Lee Daniels that stars Academy Award winners Cuba Gooding, Jr., Helen Mirren, and Mo'Nique. It opened in limited release in six cities: New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Richmond, Virginia.-Plot:Mikey and his stepmother...	Vicki
2007	Grindhouse	Arlene / 'Butterfly'	Death Proof Death Proof Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car...  segment
	Descent Descent (2007 film) Descent is a 2007 American thriller film directed by Talia Lugacy and starring Rosario Dawson and Chad Faust.-Plot summary:Maya is a college student who is date raped...	Bodega Girl
2008	Nothing Like the Holidays	Roxanna Rodriguez
2009	Julie & Julia Julie & Julia Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina...	Cassie
	Madea Goes to Jail Madea Goes to Jail Madea Goes to Jail is a 2009 comedy-drama film adaptation written and directed by Tyler Perry, which was based on Perry's 2006 play of the same name. The play and the film deal with Perry's recurring character Madea Simmons going to jail for her uncontrollable anger management problems...	Donna
2010	Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps	Audrey

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001–2004	The Sopranos The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...	Tina Francesco	two episodes
2002	Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....	Val	one episode
2003	Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...	Tina Montoya	one episode
2003–2004	24 24 (TV series) 24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...	Claudia Hernandez	11 episodes
2004	CSI: Miami CSI: Miami CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....	Detective Aiden Burn Aiden Burn Aiden Burn is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: NY portrayed by Vanessa Ferlito.-Overview:Aiden is a Brooklyn native who has the ability to adapt to new situations very quickly and has a love and drive for her job similar to that of Sara Sidle on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.She...	one episode
2004–2006	CSI: NY CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...	Detective Aiden Burn Aiden Burn Aiden Burn is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: NY portrayed by Vanessa Ferlito.-Overview:Aiden is a Brooklyn native who has the ability to adapt to new situations very quickly and has a love and drive for her job similar to that of Sara Sidle on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.She...	26 episodes

External links

• Vanessa Ferlito profile at TV.com
  TV.com
  TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...