"My mother was the total influence. My father was what we call a nomadic person; he was a wanderer"
About this Quote
Then he pivots to the father with a softening euphemism: “what we call a nomadic person.” That little phrase is doing public-relations work. It translates an absence into something almost romantic, anthropological, even bohemian. The follow-up clarifies the truth underneath the gentler label: “he was a wanderer.” The repetition isn’t redundant; it’s a tightening of the lens. “Nomadic” can sound like choice, adventure, a lifestyle. “Wanderer” sounds like instability. Aiello gives you both, letting the audience decide how charitable to be while hinting he’s already made peace with the facts.
As an actor, Aiello is also signaling where his emotional material comes from. A dominant maternal presence can produce discipline, loyalty, a coded respect for women who hold everything together. A wandering father can create a lifelong alertness to abandonment and a knack for reading adults who don’t stay. It’s a neat piece of self-mythmaking: he doesn’t ask for pity, but he explains the wiring.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mother |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Aiello, Danny. (2026, January 16). My mother was the total influence. My father was what we call a nomadic person; he was a wanderer. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-was-the-total-influence-my-father-was-103467/
Chicago Style
Aiello, Danny. "My mother was the total influence. My father was what we call a nomadic person; he was a wanderer." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-was-the-total-influence-my-father-was-103467/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My mother was the total influence. My father was what we call a nomadic person; he was a wanderer." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-was-the-total-influence-my-father-was-103467/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.


