Nelson Sardelli

Nelson Sardelli (born September 20, 1934) is a Brazilian-born singer, actor, and comedian of Italian descent. Best known as an entertainer in Las Vegas, Sardelli has acted in films such as Myra Breckinridge and The Professionals.

Career In 1956, Sardelli was working as an analyst for General Motors. He decided to immigrate to Pontiac, Michigan, but found out there had been widespread layoffs there. In 2008, he was awarded the Golden Pillow Award from the International Entertainer School of Las Vegas. Mansfield indicated that she planned to marry Sardelli when her divorce from her husband, Mickey Hargitay, was finalized. On April 30, 1963, Mansfield obtained a divorce from Hargitay in Juarez, Mexico; Sardelli accompanied Mansfield to Juarez. Sardelli's relationship with Mansfield ended in June 1963. Mariska Hargitay, who was born in 1964, was 25 years old when she learned that Sardelli was her biological father. She first met Sardelli when she was 30 after seeing him perform in Atlantic City, and she developed a close relationship with him and his other daughters. In May 2025, Hargitay publicly confirmed in her HBO documentary, My Mom Jayne, that Sardelli is her biological father. Sardelli appeared in the documentary.

Sardelli had three daughters with his first wife, Fledia Fay Sardelli, who died in July 2012. Their eldest daughter, Venetia Carmela Antonia, died in 2001. Their other two daughters, Giovanna and Pietra, participated in Hargitay's 2025 documentary.

Filmography