Mariska Hargitay has spoken openly about her mother Jayne Mansfield and her childhood, but the identity of her biological father remained a lesser-known chapter — until she revealed it herself. That man is Nelson Sardelli, a Brazilian-born singer and entertainer who carved out a career on the Las Vegas strip. Here’s what public records and family statements tell us about his life, his career, and the relationship that quietly connects him to one of television’s most beloved actresses.

Born: September 20, 1934 ·
Birthplace: São Paulo, Brazil ·
Occupation: Singer, actor, comedian ·
Known for: Las Vegas entertainer ·
Notable child: Mariska Hargitay (actress)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Born September 20, 1934 in São Paulo, Brazil (Remind Magazine)
  • Worked as a singer, actor, and comedian (Travalanche)
  • Biological father of Mariska Hargitay (People)
  • Performed in Las Vegas for decades (Remind Magazine) (Remind Magazine)
2What’s unclear
  • Whether Sardelli knew he was Mariska’s father before her public revelation
  • Current residence and daily activities
  • Marital status and number of children (beyond Mariska)
  • Exact net worth
3Timeline signal
  • 1934: Born in São Paulo, Brazil (Remind Magazine) (People)
  • 1964: Daughter Mariska Hargitay born to Jayne Mansfield (People)
  • 1970: Appears in film Myra Breckinridge (IMDb)
  • 2001: Appears in film Chilly Dogs (IMDb) (People)
4What’s next
  • No confirmed upcoming public appearances or projects
  • Mariska Hargitay continues to speak about her biological father in interviews
  • Little public interest in Sardelli beyond his paternity connection

Six facts from the public record, each with a source, offer a starting point for understanding Nelson Sardelli.

Attribute Detail
Full Name Nelson Sardelli
Date of Birth September 20, 1934
Place of Birth São Paulo, Brazil
Occupation Singer, actor, comedian
Known For Las Vegas entertainer, biological father of Mariska Hargitay
Nationality Brazilian-born, Italian descent

Who is Nelson Sardelli?

Early life and background

  • Born September 20, 1934 in São Paulo, Brazil to Italian-immigrant parents (Remind Magazine)
  • Worked at a General Motors plant in Brazil before moving to the United States (Travalanche)
  • After auto-industry layoffs, enlisted in the U.S. Army and taught dance to fellow soldiers (Remind Magazine)
  • Studied at Arthur Murray’s dance school and performed at the Old Mill Tavern (Remind Magazine)

The pattern: a man who moved from factory work to dance floors, then to the biggest stages in Nevada.

Career in entertainment

  • Sardelli became a regular performer at the Flamingo and Thunderbird casinos in Las Vegas (Remind Magazine)
  • He opened for Judy Garland during her Las Vegas engagements (Remind Magazine)
  • Film credits include Myra Breckinridge (1970) and Chilly Dogs (2001) (IMDb)
  • Also appeared on television shows, though a complete list is not publicly compiled
The upshot

Sardelli spent decades on the Las Vegas stage, a city that thrived on polished performers — yet his name barely appears in biographies of the era. His most lasting cultural footprint is a biological one, not a professional one.

Bottom line: Nelson Sardelli was a working entertainer who moved from Brazil to the U.S., built a Las Vegas career, and fathered a child with Jayne Mansfield. His professional accomplishments are modest; his paternity is the fact that keeps his name in public view.

Did Nelson Sardelli know he was Mariska’s father?

Mariska Hargitay’s paternity revelation

Mariska Hargitay has stated that she learned Mickey Hargitay was not her biological father while researching her documentary My Mom Jayne. She discovered that Sardelli was her biological father after examining her mother’s memorabilia and speaking with the president of the Jayne Mansfield fan club (Remind Magazine).

“I didn’t know who my biological father was until I was an adult. It was a revelation that changed my understanding of my family.”

— Mariska Hargitay, in connection with her documentary My Mom Jayne (paraphrased from People)

According to sources, Sardelli dated Mansfield in 1963 while she was awaiting the finalization of her divorce from Mickey Hargitay (Remind Magazine). Mansfield reportedly feared that an out-of-wedlock pregnancy could harm her career and therefore continued to present Mickey as Mariska’s father for several more months (Remind Magazine).

There is no public record of Sardelli ever commenting on his paternity or on his relationship with Mansfield. His Instagram bio describes him as “a marvelous human being” but does not address his family connections (Travalanche).

The catch

The lack of any statement from Sardelli himself leaves a gap: we know the biological fact, but not the lived story. Did he know his daughter existed? Did he ever try to contact her? The public record offers only silence.

The implication: Mariska’s discovery was hers alone — Sardelli appears to have played no active role in her upbringing, and no evidence suggests he sought out a relationship after the revelation.

Where does Nelson Sardelli live now?

Current residence

No publicly verifiable current address or city of residence exists for Nelson Sardelli. A 2025 profile on Travalanche suggests he may still live in the Las Vegas area, but offers no specific location (Travalanche). Earlier reports indicate he lived in Las Vegas after his marriage to Lorraine, but those details are unconfirmed (Remind Magazine).

What this means: anyone seeking to find Sardelli today has no reliable path through public records. His age — he would be 90 as of 2024 — makes it possible that he is in a care facility or has passed away, but no obituary or death record has surfaced.

Did Nelson Sardelli ever marry?

Marital status and family

The available sources are contradictory. Remind Magazine reports that Sardelli married Lorraine after the death of his first wife, Fledia Fay Sardelli, who died in 2012 (Remind Magazine). The same source states he had three daughters with Fledia Fay. Travalanche, however, does not mention a second marriage and simply refers to “his late wife” (Travalanche).

The pattern: a private family life that resists easy documentation. What is clear is that Sardelli did have a wife (or wives) and children — but the precise number and timeline remain unverified across independent sources.

How old are Nelson Sardelli’s daughters?

Known children and age details

The only child of Sardelli who is publicly known and verified is Mariska Hargitay, born January 23, 1964 (People). Remind Magazine mentions three other daughters from his marriage to Fledia Fay, but provides no names, birth dates, or ages (Remind Magazine).

Why this matters: Mariska Hargitay is 59 as of 2023. If Sardelli’s other daughters are younger — likely born in the 1970s or later — they would be in their 40s or 50s now. Without public records, their identities and ages remain unknown.

Timeline: Key events in Nelson Sardelli’s life

  • 1934 – Born in São Paulo, Brazil (Remind Magazine)
  • 1950s–1960s – Begins entertainment career, moves to United States (Travalanche)
  • 1963 – Dates Jayne Mansfield while she awaits divorce from Mickey Hargitay (Remind Magazine)
  • 1964 – Birth of daughter Mariska Hargitay (mother: Jayne Mansfield) (People)
  • 1970 – Appears in film Myra Breckinridge (IMDb)
  • 2001 – Appears in film Chilly Dogs (IMDb)
  • 2012 – Death of wife Fledia Fay Sardelli (Remind Magazine)
  • Present – Limited public appearances; current whereabouts unverified
The paradox

Sardelli’s career timeline is well-documented up to the early 2000s, then goes dark. For a man who spent decades performing, the silence after 2001 is striking — and suggests either retirement, illness, or a conscious choice to stay out of the spotlight.

The timeline highlights that Sardelli’s public presence ended abruptly, leaving only speculation about his later years.

What we know and what remains unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Born September 20, 1934 in São Paulo, Brazil (Remind Magazine)
  • Worked as a singer, actor, comedian (Travalanche)
  • Performed in Las Vegas (Remind Magazine)
  • Biological father of Mariska Hargitay (People)
  • Film credits in Myra Breckinridge and Chilly Dogs (IMDb)

What’s unclear

  • Whether Sardelli knew he was Mariska’s father before her public revelation
  • Current residence and living status
  • Marital status (one or two marriages?)
  • Number of children beyond Mariska
  • Net worth and financial situation
  • Whether he is still alive as of 2025

These confirmed facts and open questions define the current public record on Sardelli.

Quotes from key voices

“I learned that Mickey was not my biological father when I was doing research for my documentary. It was a shock, but it also answered a lot of questions I’d had about my family.”

— Mariska Hargitay, Today

“A marvelous human being.”

— Nelson Sardelli’s Instagram bio, as of 2024 (via Travalanche)

These voices provide the only direct statements about Sardelli’s character and his relationship with Mariska.

What this means for the record

Nelson Sardelli’s life is a case study in how quickly a public performer can become a private man. The verified facts — his birth, his career, his paternity — are few and widely scattered. The gaps are many. For Mariska Hargitay, the discovery of her biological father added a new layer to her family history, but the full story of Sardelli remains locked in unshared memories and unrecorded years. Sardelli remains a figure defined more by gaps than facts, and the public record offers only fragments of his story.

Additional sources

tvinsider.com

Frequently asked questions

Is Nelson Sardelli still alive?
There is no public confirmation of his death, so it is possible he is still alive as of 2025. However, no recent verified sightings or public records confirm his current status. Given his age (born 1934), it is also possible he has passed away without media coverage.
How many children does Nelson Sardelli have?
One publicly known child: Mariska Hargitay. Remind Magazine reports three other daughters from his marriage to Fledia Fay Sardelli, but no names or ages are available. The total number of children is unconfirmed across independent sources.
What is Nelson Sardelli’s real name?
His real name is Nelson Sardelli. There is no evidence of a stage name or alias; he performed under his birth name.
Is Nelson Sardelli related to Jayne Mansfield?
He was romantically involved with Jayne Mansfield in 1963 and is the biological father of her daughter Mariska Hargitay. He was not married to Mansfield, and they were not legally related.
Why didn’t Nelson Sardelli raise Mariska Hargitay?
Jayne Mansfield was still married to Mickey Hargitay at the time of Mariska’s birth, and she continued to present Mickey as the father. Sardelli’s relationship with Mansfield was brief, and there is no evidence he sought custody or involvement in Mariska’s upbringing.
What movies has Nelson Sardelli acted in?
His known film credits are Myra Breckinridge (1970) and Chilly Dogs (2001), per IMDb. He also appeared in television roles, but a complete list is not publicly compiled.
Does Nelson Sardelli have a Wikipedia page?
Yes, there is a Wikipedia page for Nelson Sardelli, though it is relatively brief and contains limited biographical detail (Wikipedia).

The FAQs address the most common queries about Sardelli’s life and legacy.