Born in Naples, Taranto started his career as a child actor in 1918 starring in some local stage companies.^[1] After studying mime and dance he joined the company of Salvatore Cafiero.^[1] In 1928 he successfully entered into the sceneggiata genre:^[1] invited on tour in the United States, he returned with "a pianola tape and a thousand dollars",^[2] used to finance his first company of variety, which lasted only fifteen days and ended in total disaster.^[2] In 1933 he debuted on dramatic theater and in revue, a genre he focused until the 1950s.^[1][2]

Taranto achieved large notoriety thanks to two macchiette (i.e. comic musical monologues caricaturing stock characters), Ciccio Formaggio and Baron Carlo Mazza, two caricatural characters of proven success that he reprised several times during his career.^[1][2]

He debuted in cinema in 1938, but achieved some success just in the 1950s. In 1953 he won a Nastro d'Argento for Best Actor for his performance in Luigi Zampa's Anni facili.^[1][3] In the sixties he was several times sidekick of Totò in a number of successful comedies and starred in numerous musicarelli films.^[1]

Taranto also starred in a number of TV films, took part in several television and radio variety shows and recorded several songs. In 1985 RAI honored the artist with a monographic documentary series in four parts, Taranto Story.^[1]

On February 23rd 1986, just 5 days before his 79th birthday, Taranto passed away in Naples from unknown disease. He was 78 years old. He is entombed at Poggioreale Cemetery, Naples.

• Andrea Jelardi, Nino Taranto. Vita straordinaria di un grande protagonista dello spettacolo italiano del Novecento, Kairòs, 2012. ISBN 889523376X.
• Giulio Baffi, Nino Taranto ha 100 anni, Guida, 2007. ISBN 8860423279.
• Renzo Arbore, Vittorio Marsiglia, Carlo Missaglia, Come Si Ride a Napoli!, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2010. ISBN 8860738938.

• Nino Taranto at IMDb
• Nino Taranto at AllMovie