Performer(s) Appeared in Ashley Funicello Spinelli is a character from the Disney animated television series Recess. She is a young Italian-American girl who is a wrestling fan, and a member of T.J. Detweiler's group. She prefers to be addressed by her surname, because she hates the fact that she shares her first name with her rivals, a group of girls called the Ashleys. Spinelli is strong and often tries to use her fists to solve her problems, and during the gang's endeavors, she can get reluctant kids to talk by intimidation. With her reputation, a lot of Spinelli's problems happen when she is shown to have a weakness, as she prefers to be feared and respected.