I thought Ettore Garofolo was very good in this film especially considering it was his debut. Sad he apparently only made nine other films, mostly small roles and occasionally unbilled. He had to carry the film for a period when the movie shifted focus from Mamma Roma to Ettore (Magnani is offscreen for quite awhile in mid film).
shareI thought his performance was very good as well.
One thing I must say, and I rarely make negative comments about someone's physical appearance, but when he first showed up on screen, something about his face completely put me off. I think it was a combination of his permanently pursed lips, his crooked/broken nose, and how the top of his head seemed disproportionately larger than the lower half (like a light bulb).
It didn't keep me from enjoying an excellent film, though. I must say, I think I disliked every character in it. Everyone was out for themselves, for their own interests.