Vinnie Fiorello

{{Infobox person

| name = Vinnie Fiorello

| image = Vinnie Fiorello.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Fiorello in concert with Less Than Jake, 2008

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|6|24}}

| birth_place = Rahway, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| nationality = American

|alma_mater = University of Florida

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Musician
songwriter
businessman

}}

| years_active = 1992–present

| spouse =

| children =

| module = {{Infobox musical artist

| embed = yes

| background = solo_singer

| instrument = {{flatlist|

Drums
percussion

}}

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| current_member_of = {{flatlist|

The Inevitables

}}

| label =

| past_member_of = Less Than Jake

| signature =

}}

Vincent "Vinnie" Fiorello (born June 24, 1974) is an American rock musician and businessman. He co-founded the ska punk band Less Than Jake in 1992, and was the band's drummer and lyricist until 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rank-your-records-less-than-jake-vinnie-fiorello/|title=Rank Your Records: Less Than Jake's Vinnie Fiorello Rates the Ska-Punk Band's Eight Albums|last=Handley|first=Gen|date=2015-06-25|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=2019-12-23}} He also founded the record labels Fueled by Ramen, Sleep It Off Records, and Paper + Plastick, in addition to several local businesses in Gainesville, Florida.

Biography

Fiorello was born on June 24, 1974, in Rahway, New Jersey. He grew up in New Jersey but moved to Gainesville, Florida, at age 16.{{cite web |title=AHEAD Artist Vinnie Fiorello |url=http://www.aheaddrumsticks.com/vinnie-fiorello.html |website=Ahead Drumsticks |access-date=24 February 2020}}

Vinnie Fiorello and Chris DeMakes founded the band Less Than Jake while attending the University of Florida in 1992. Band members have told various media outlets different versions of the origin of the band's name. DeMakes has stated in interviews that the band's name came from Fiorello's family's pet parrot.{{Cite web|url=https://billingsgazette.com/entertainment/music/a-parrot-a-fish-and-a-reeling-night-of-ska/article_8cf12093-5bff-52d5-a1e9-faebed74406b.html|title= A parrot, a fish, and a reeling night of ska |website=billingsgazette.com|date= May 14, 2015 |access-date=January 18, 2020}} His story claimed that the parrot would squawk during the band's practice sessions, leading to Fiorello's mother telling the band that they needed to stop playing because they were disturbing the bird. This would lead to the band referring to themselves as being "less than Jake." In June 2020, however, Fiorello clarified that Jake was not a parrot but was, in fact, an English Bulldog.{{Cite web|last=Taylor|first=Blake|title=Worker Bees Ep.1 - Vinnie Fiorello on Life After Less Than Jake|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRXH7cqVUaM&feature=youtu.be&t=2005 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/XRXH7cqVUaM |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-08|website=YouTube|date=June 17, 2020 }}{{cbignore}}

In 1996, Fiorello co-founded the record label Fueled by Ramen with John Janick. He left the label in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/21435/vinnie-talks-about-his-departure-from-fueled-by-ramen|title=Vinnie talks about his departure from Fueled By Ramen|last=Paul|first=Aubin|date=2006-12-22|website=Punknews.org|access-date=May 10, 2017}}

In the summer of 2015, Fiorello and his friend Eric Jazvac opened a tattoo parlor, Wunderland Custom Tattooing, in downtown Gainesville, Florida.{{cite web |title=About |url=http://www.wunderlandtattoo.com/about-and-meet-the-team |website=Wunderland Custom Tattoo |access-date=24 February 2020}}

On October 24, 2018, Fiorello announced that while he would remain a member of Less Than Jake, he would no longer be touring with the band.{{Cite web|url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/less-than-jakes-vinnie-fiorello-on-the-last-warped-tour-ever-10588267|title=Less Than Jake's Vinnie Fiorello on the Last Warped Tour Ever|last=Scott|first=Jesse|date=2018-08-02|website=Miami New Times|access-date=2019-12-23}} After Fiorello's announcement, the band recruited Teen Idols drummer Matt Yonker as their touring drummer. On September 1, 2019, Roger Lima announced via social media that despite prior reports, Fiorello was no longer with the band in any capacity and would not be participating in the creation of the band's upcoming album.{{cite tweet|user=LessThanRAJ|first=Roger|last=Lima|number=1168190500828065792|date=1 September 2019|title=Love it or hate it, Less Than Jake is entering a new era. We have had a new drummer for just shy of a year, and the next album is being written without our old lyricist/drummer. There seems to be confusion on the matter, and I hope I can clear up any questions #newera}}

In October 2019, High Times reported that Fiorello had founded a CBD brand called Sailor Diggen's Finest.{{cite web |last1=Laderer |first1=Ashley |title=Less Than Jake's Vinnie Fiorello on his New CBD Brand, Sailor Diggen's Finest |url=https://hightimes.com/culture/music/less-than-jakes-vinnie-fiorello-new-cbd-brand-sailor-diggens-finest/ |website=High Times |access-date=24 February 2020 |date=30 October 2019}}

In 2020, Fiorello co-founded the ska-punk supergroup/multimedia project, The Inevitables with Obi Fernandez of Westbound Train, in which Fiorello is also the drummer and a songwriter for. {{cite web |title=The Inevitables |url=https://www.law-records.com/#/the-inevitables/ |website=Law Records}}

Personal life

Fiorello has a daughter, who was born on September 3, 2011.{{cite tweet|user=lessthanvinnie|first=Vinnie|last=Fiorello|number=109784917084340224|date=3 September 2011|title=I just became a dad to a beautiful baby girl!}}{{cite tweet|user=lessthanvinnie|first=Vinnie|last=Fiorello|number=109791549377880066|date=3 September 2011|title=@alexiscummins lilliana Rose}}