When Corman read their script, he asked Viola to direct, and the resulting film, Angels Hard as They Come, was a financial success for New World.
[4] Demme made his directorial debut with Caged Heat in 1974, where Viola had a cameo role as a sports car driver.
He was a story editor for T. J. Hooker and Cagney & Lacey, and was a producer on the short-lived series Equal Justice, WIOU, Dellaventura.
Other shows Viola wrote for include The Bionic Woman, One Day at a Time, MacGyver, Law & Order, and Melrose Place.
Viola wrote the segment "Manhattan Miracle" in the film Subway Stories, which was directed by Ted Demme.