Anthony “Tony” Eugene Amatullo Jr., a former Warner Bros. executive and producer who worked on TV shows including “ER” and “The West Wing,” died Sunday in Manhattan. He was 76.
His son, Nicolas Amatullo, confirmed the news.
Amatullo had a long and successful career as a line and executive producer. He first worked as a location manager for commercials, television and film, with credits like “The Goonies” and “The Color Purple,” before serving as an associate producer on TV series including “Fame” and “Miami Vice.” He worked across Hollywood studio lots, including MGM, Paramount, and Disney, before later becoming Vice President of Production at Warner Bros.. There, he worked on “ER,” “The West Wing,” “Third Watch” and more.
In a statement shared by Nicolas, he wrote that his father “often compared producing to walking a tightrope — balancing creativity, logistics, and big personalities. It was a challenge he embraced wholeheartedly, bringing both a passion for storytelling and a steady hand to every project throughout his career.”
Amatullo went on to champion independent television and film projects, with credits including the film “Two Days in the Valley” and the reality series “Beverly Hills Pawn.” His final project was the award-winning “Surviving on LES,” his directing debut.
Amatullo was born and raised in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. He attended Power Memorial High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in Film, Cinema, and Video Studies from the City University of New York. Tony moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after graduating, where he first learned about the business as a production assistant. He was a member of the Directors Guild of America.
Nicolas also wrote that Amatullo “found joy in the day-to-day moments of life — gardening, making the perfect pizza at his home in Pasadena, taking long walks through downtown Manhattan, swimming daily, fishing, and hunting for antiques and hidden treasures in the many flea markets he visited around the world.”
Amatullo is survived by his wife, Mariana Victoria, and his two sons, Nicolas and Leonardo.