Rugged Sicilian-born actor who came to international notice after playing Ferrari racing ace Nino Barlini in John Frankenheimer's high octane blockbuster Grand Prix (1966). His charismatic performance saw Sabato nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Most Promising Newcomer. During the 1970s, he starred in a slew of low-budget Italian language productions, predominantly spaghetti westerns and crime thrillers, essaying villains (Der Mafia-Boss (1972)), heroes (Edgar Wallace - Das Rätsel des silbernen Halbmonds (1972)) and anti-heroes (Rache in El Paso (1972)) with equal verve. By the mid-80s, Sabato and his family had relocated to California where he devoted more time to painting and family life while continuing to star in international co-productions, typically action films like the futuristic The Riffs II - Flucht aus der Bronx (1983), Hungrige Skorpione (1985) and High Voltage - Tödliche Bande (1997). His last work on screen consisted of several appearances in the soap Reich und schön (1987) , which also featured his son Antonio Sabato Jr...
