His first appearance in a film was as an extra for "Cops and Robbers". Coati along with other Puerto Rican kids appear as part of the Central Park scene as members of the Spanish Harlem softball teams. This came about because while playing softball with some friends in a Spanish Harlem park they were approached by actor Joe Spinell and were asked if they could organize two teams of Puerto Rican youth to appear in the film. Years later he got to work with Joe Spinell again when Coati provided songs for Joe's film Maniac.
