-David Stephen Caruso was born January 7, 1956 in Forest Hills, New York to an Italian father and an Irish mother.

-Graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, Queens, New York.

-Caruso's first nationwide appearance was in a coffee commercial in the mid 1970s; he played a stock boy in Margaret Hamilton's general store.

-He was cast as "Archie Andrews" in a 1976 pilot based on the "Archie" comic strip, but did not work out. He was replaced before shooting began by Dennis Bowen.

-Made his big screen debut in 1980's cult classic Without Warning, and his small screen debut the following year in Crazy Times. 

-Earned a role in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), in which he played a young recruit who almost drowned. 

-Other bit parts in television shows and films eventually led to bigger roles in such movies as King of New York (1990) and Mad Dog and Glory (1993) and a leading role on "NYPD Blue".

-Starred in the first season of "NYPD Blue", for which he was awarded the 1993 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama.  He was also nominated for an Emmy for the same role. In a highly publicized move from TV to Cinema, Caruso left NYPD Blue in 1994 to pursue a film career.

-Starred in such movies as Kiss of Death (1995), Jade (1995), Cold Around the Heart (1997), Deadlocked (2000), Proof of Life (2000) and Session 9 (2001). 

-Returned to television in 1997 in "Michael Hayes" as the title character, a NYC Federal Prosecutor.  The show was loosely based on the early career of Rudy Giuliani.  

-In 2002 he joined the cast of CSI: Miami in the role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine, head of the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Lab.  The role of Horatio is primarily responsible for shooting Caruso back to stardom. 

-Is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Lexicon Digital Communications, the new Digital Media startup company.

-Co-owns Steam, an upscale clothing and home furnishings store in South Miami, Florida.

-Lives in Miami and Los Angeles. 

-Married three times: Sherry Maugans (1980-1983), Rachel Ticotin (c.1983-1987), and Margaret Buckley (married May 4, 1996; split in June 2004; divorced in 2007). In a relationship with Paris Papiro from 1988-1994, Liza Marquez (with whom he has two children) from 2005-2007.  

-Has three children: Greta, Marquez, and Paloma (born Fall, 2007).