Career
Music
Nicastro started his musical career as the drummer and one of the main songwriters for the bands MONOPOLY , Popa Blow Torch and Falsetto Teeth. He had been working with original MONOPOLY bandmate, keyboardist , composer, producer and great friend John Steinhoff to digitize and release the music from the fore mentioned bands.
Tragically John passed away on November 18, 2021 before they were finished.
Nicastro is currently working with Sound engineer extraordinaire Brian Kehew who is doing some producing/mixing and mastering to finally get the music ready for release.
Most of the music was originally recorded at Lookout Mountain Laboratories a legendary top secret Military Movie Studio high in the Hollywood Hills. Which was also served as the band's headquarters for seven years in the 1980s.
Nicastro and his MONOPOLY bandmates have shared the stage with artists such as Fishbone and Los Lobos and also shared a rehearsal studio and top positions on college radio charts with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Nicastro also played the Rodimba in the Edgewalker Orchestra.
Composed music for Winifred Harris' Between Lines Dance company and recorded and played live with Guitar legend George Lynch's Shadowtrain.
His musical career high point was working with the late great legendary American Indian poet, musician and Activist John Trudell on the Shadowtrain project.
Photo/Alex Solca
Foley
A renowned Foley artist for over thirty years, Nicastro has worked on numerous hit films and television programs, including Idiocracy , Dumb & Dumber, Babel, The Mask, Ronin and hundreds more. His work on the popular TV show 24, made him a three time Primetime Emmy award winner along with twenty other nominations.
Working on so many films have taught him the process of film making which led to his knowledge for his documentary work. See more on IMDB.
Film
As a filmmaker, Nicastro focuses on telling the important untold stories.
In his first documentary (still in progress) True Tales of the Blue-Eyed Indian, He shares the stories and images of his good friend Laguna Pueblo Indian photographer, Lee Marmon, who asked Nicastro to make this film before he passed away 3-31-2021 at the age of 94.
Lee shares his historic images and first hand stories, chronicling the post-World War II modernization and migration of the New Mexico Pueblos's and the upheaval of their families, ancient culture and then current lifestyle experienced by the the Pueblo People of this time of extreme change.
Nicastro is teaming up with his friend Laguna Pueblo painter Marla Allison to bring her perspective and artistry to help him bring the Pueblo People's and Lee's important stories into the 21st century. Their stories and lessons are more important than ever at this pivotable juncture in our history as a species.
(The film has been put on hold due to the request of some of Lee's Family.)
Released in 2017, the film Shadow Nation shows Nicastro working with , legendary rock guitarist and films director George Lynch. Musicians Mike Morello, John Trudell, and philosopher Noam Chomsky and a cast of other musicians and Native Americans. To try to find solutions to the injustices suffered by today’s Native American population through music and cultural exchange.
Nicastro is in the film's cast, played drums in the Shadowtrain band as well as ran some of the cameras and did some segment producing.
His latest film project has taken him across the ocean to the South Pacific Islands, where he is working with the High Chief Miko Toofa Pouria-Krainer of Tahiti .
Nicastro is documenting the reunification of the Native Polynesian People, their struggles as an island nation whose limited land mass is disappearing with the on set of Climate change. As well as the reclaiming of their ancient family lands, their sustainable living practices and beautiful traditions within a fragile and ever-changing natural, social economic political ecosystem.
See all of his short films on Youtube at V.N.C.Films. Photo/ Kris Lannin Liang