# Rizzo (surname)

Rizzo (Italian pronunciation:) is a surname of Italian origin, denoting a person with curly hair or a variation of the surnames Ricci and Risso.

## Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 55.1% of all known bearers of the surname Rizzo were residents of Italy (frequency 1:786), 18.2% of the United States (1:14,059), 7.9% of Brazil (1:18,357), 5.1% of Argentina (1:5,960), 3.3% of Ecuador (1:3,422), 2.4% of France (1:19,532), 1.1% of Belgium (1:7,505), 1.0% of Canada (1:27,097) and 0.01% of Corfu, Greece (1:10).
In Italy, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:786) in the following regions:
* 1. Sicily (1:234)
* 2. Apulia (1:261)
* 3. Calabria (1:374)
* 4. Veneto (1:699)
In Ecuador, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:3,422) in the following provinces:
* 1. Los Ríos Province (1:694)
* 2. Guayas Province (1:1,410)
* 3. Galápagos Province (1:2,098)
* 4. El Oro Province (1:3,237)

## People

Notable people with this surname include:
* Francesco Rizzo da Santacroce (1505-1545), Italian painter, active mainly in Bergamo and Venice
* Adam Rizzo, American founder of the Solar Liberty
* Alanna Rizzo, American sports reporter
* Alberto Rizzo, fashion photographer and painter
* Alberto Rizzo (footballer) (born 1993), Italian football player
* Aldo Rizzo (1935-2021), Italian politician and magistrate
* Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo (born 1940), Italian diplomat, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO
* Alex Rizzo (1968-2002), American professional wrestler
* Alfredo Rizzo (1902-1991), French-born Italian actor, screenwriter and director
* Alfredo Rizzo (athlete) (1933–2023), former Italian middle-distance runner
* Angelo Rizzo (1926-2008), Italian Roman Catholic Bishop of Ragusa
* Anthony Rizzo, MLB baseball player
* Antonio Rizzo (footballer), Italian footballer
* Armond Rizzo (born 1990), American gay pornographic film actor
* Carmen Rizzo (born 1964), American producer, mixer, programmer, DJ, remixer and recording artist
* Diletta Rizzo Marin, Italian operatic mezzo-soprano
* Francesco Rizzo (footballer) (1943–2022), retired Italian football midfielder
* Francisco Rizzo (1831-1910), acting Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines,
* Frank Rizzo, former mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
* Frank Rizzo Jr. (born 1940), American politician
* Frank L. Rizzo, Jr., politician and son of the aforementioned mayor
* Giacomo Rizzo (born 1939), Italian film actor
* Gianni Rizzo (1925-1992), Italian film actor
* Giuseppe Rizzo (born 1991), Italian footballer
* Giuseppe Rizzo (priest) (1863-1912), Italian priest, politician and journalist
* Gonzalo Nicolás Rizzo Sánchez (born 1995), Uruguayan football defender
* Helena Rizzo (born 1978), Brazilian chef and restaurateuse
* Jessica Rizzo, pornographic actress and businesswoman
* Jilly Rizzo (1917-1992), American restaurateur and associate of Frank Sinatra
* Jo-Ann Rizzo (born 1965), Canadian curler
* Joe Rizzo (American football) (born 1950), Denver Broncos linebacker from 1974 to 1980
* Joe Rizzo (baseball) (born 1998), American baseball player
* John A. Rizzo (1947–2021), American lawyer and intelligence officer
* John Rizzo (politician) (born 1980), American Democratic member of the Missouri Senate since 2017
* John-Ross Rizzo, American physician-scientist
* Johnny Costa Rizzo (1912-1977), American outfielder in Major League Baseball
* Joseph Rizzo an 18th-century philosopher and theologian from Malta
* Juan Pablo Vojvoda Rizzo (born 1975), Argentine football manager
* Juan Salvador Rizzo (1906, date of death unknown), Argentine football player
* Linda Jo Rizzo (born 1955), American singer, composer and musical producer
* Luca Rizzo (born 1992), Italian professional footballer
* Luigi Rizzo, Italian naval officer and World War I hero
* Marc Rizzo, current lead guitarist of Brazilian Metal band Soulfly and formerly of Ill Niño
* Marco Rizzo, Italian politician
* Matteo Rizzo (born 1998), Italian figure skater
* Mauro Rizzo (born 1984), Italian footballer
* Michele Rizzo (born 1982), Italian rugby union player
* Mike Rizzo, DJ and music producer
* Mike Rizzo (baseball), baseball executive
* Rita Rizzo, an American Franciscan nun known as Mother Angelica, founder of the Eternal Word Television Network
* Nick Rizzo, Australian footballer
* Nick Rizzo (curler) (born 1961), Canadian curler
* Pat Rizzo, saxophonist for Sly & the Family Stone
* Patti Rizzo (born 1960), American professional golfer
* Paul Rizzo (born 1982), Australian Michael Jackson tribute artist
* Pedro Rizzo, Brazilian mixed martial artist and kickboxer
* Rob Rizzo, NASCAR driver
* Robert Hunecke-Rizzo (born 1971), German bass player, guitarist and drummer
* Roberto Rizzo (born 1961), former Italian football midfielder and current manager
* Simone Rizzo DeCavalcante (1912-1997), Italian member of the New Jersey Mafia, nicknamed "The Count"
* Sócrates Rizzo, Mexican politician
* Steve Rizzo, American motivational speaker, author, and former stand-up comedian
* Tatiana Rizzo (born 1986), Argentine volleyball player
* Todd Rizzo (born 1971), retired Major League Baseball pitcher
* Tony Rizzo (born 1940), Canadian politician
* TJ Rizzo (1915-1979), American dance instructor and founder of the University of Utah Children's Dance
* Turu Rizzo (1894-1967), Maltese Olympic water polo player and world record swimmer
* Walter Rizzo (born 1956) champion Australian bodybuilder
* Willy Rizzo (1928-2013), Italian photographer and designer.

### Fictional characters

* Betty Rizzo, character from the musical Grease and the popular film version played by Stockard Channing
* Frank Rizzo, the acerbic and profane character portrayed by Johnny Brennan
* Luther Rizzo, character from the television series M*A*S*H
* Stan Rizzo, character from the AMC television series Mad Men
* Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, character from the film Midnight Cowboy
* Deputy Frank Rizzo, character from Reno 911!.

## Other uses

* Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in Parkland, Florida, in 2012 by Anthony Rizzo
* City of Bell scandal, one of the protagonists in a case of misappropriation of public funds in Bell, CA, in the late 2000s
* People v. Rizzo, a criminal case that set precedent for what constitutes an attempt to commit a crime
* Re Rizzo & Rizzo Shoes Ltd, a 1998 judgment from the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the priority of employees interests