Daniel, a third generation Italian born in Brooklyn, New York moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the age of 9 with his mother Denise and father, lounge singer Ralph "R.J." Franzese. He landed his first commercial at the age 11, but his mother decided acting wasn't a life for a young kid and told him to perform in school until he was old enough to decide if he wanted a career of it ... and that he did, later attending college at Florida School of the Arts majoring in Musical theater. He left in 1998 to perform in regional theater. Shortly after he made his first breakthrough earning a Carbonell nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" which helped him land a role in the National Broadway Tour of "Tony and Tina's Wedding." But his real break came when casting director Carmen Cuba and director 'Larry Clark' discovered him in a South Florida club and cast him in a lead role in Clark's movie Bully (2001).