ALEX ROCCO acteur nous a quitté samedi RIP

ALEX ROCCO

Alex_Rocco_at_the_1990_Annual_Emmy_Awards

Alexander Federico Petricone (February 29, 1936 – July 18, 2015), known professionally as Alex Rocco, was an American actor. His roles ranged from comedy to playing gangsters in Mafia movies, notably Moe Greene in The Godfather.

Early life[edit]

Rocco was born as Alexander Federico Petricone in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1936, but raised in nearby Somerville, the son of Mary (née DiBiase; October 1909- August 1978) and Alessandro Sam Petricone.[1] He was of Italian descent.[2]

According to organized crime turncoat Vincent Teresa, Alex was a hanger-on with the Winter Hill Gang of the Boston area. An unwanted advance toward Petricone’s then girlfriend on Labor Day, 1961 touched off the Boston Irish Gang Warof the 1960s. Georgie McLaughlin who made the advance was beaten by Winter Hill Gang members.[3] Howie Carr, a Boston-area journalist and radio personality who has written extensively about the Boston underworld, has written that the young Petricone (whose nickname was “Bobo”) was arrested in Charlestown in November 1961 along with Winter Hill boss Buddy McLean for questioning following the death of Bernie McLaughlin of the McLaughlin gang, the first murder of the war.[4] Petricone was released without charge, and shortly thereafter left the Boston area. (When he returned to the Boston area in 1972 to play a bank robber in the film The Friends of Eddie Coyle, Petricone — now styled “Alex Rocco” — set up a meeting between Robert Mitchum and local Irish-American gangsters to help Mitchum research his part as Eddie Coyle, a low-level Irish-American criminal. Rocco introduced Mitchum to Howie Winter, leader of the Winter Hill Gang.[5] Another Winter Hill Gang member who met with Mitchum was Johnny Martorano. Ironically, Martorano had murdered Billy O’Brien, a low-level gangster who may have been the prototype of the Eddie Coyle character.[6])

After his arrest, Petricone moved to California in 1962 and began using the name Alex Rocco. He first worked as a bartender in Santa Monica, California and took acting lessons from actor Leonard Nimoy, a fellow Boston native. Nimoy was not impressed with Rocco’s heavy Boston accent and told him to take speech lessons. Rocco followed through with Nimoy’s instructions and after ridding himself of the accent came back to study under Nimoy and character actor and teacher Jeff Corey.[citation needed]

Career[edit]

Rocco played the part of Moe Greene, a Las Vegas casino owner, in the film The Godfather. Greene’s character represented the top Jewish mobster in Las Vegas. Other notable movies in which Rocco has appeared include The Wedding Planner, as Salvatore and appeared uncredited in Smokin’ Aces. He also played a small part in the Disney/Pixar film, A Bug’s Life as Thorny. In the film That Thing You Do!, Rocco played Sol Siler, the founder of Playtone Records.[citation needed]

In the fall of 1975, Rocco starred in the role of Pete Karras, a widowed father, writer, and photographer, in a 12-week CBS drama series Three for the Road, withVincent Van Patten as his older son, John Karras, and Leif Garrett as his younger son, Endy Karras. After the death of their wife and mother, the Karrases sell their house, buy a recreational vehicle, and roam throughout the United States.[7]

He played Charlie Polniaczek, Jo’s father on The Facts of Life. From 1989-90, Rocco was a regular on the television comedy series The Famous Teddy Z as “Al Floss”, a Hollywood talent agent. He received an Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for this role. In 1997, he appeared (along with Rodney Dangerfield) in the annual Thanksgiving episode of the ABC sitcom Home Improvement.

Rocco also had a recurring part in the long running animated series The Simpsons as the head of Itchy and Scratchy Studios, Roger Meyers, Jr. In DVD commentaries, Rocco expressed true gratitude to The Simpsons’ staff for allowing him his first voice-over role. He parlayed that into a first-season episode of Family Guy titled “Mind Over Murder“, in which he had the memorable role of “the masculine woman”.

In 2008, he starred in Audi’s Super Bowl commercial for the Audi R8 supercar. The commercial was inspired by one of the films Rocco was in: The Godfather. He played a rich man who finds the front fascia of his luxury car in his bed, a nod to the scene from the original movie in which Jack Woltz, a rich movie producer, finds the head of his prized racehorse in his bed.[8]

Rocco most recently was one of the stars of the Starz cable channel’s crime-drama series, Magic City.[9] Rocco was scheduled to star as Mr. Marino in the Horror thriller film The Other.[10]

Personal life[edit]

After moving to Los Angeles, Rocco became a member of the Bahá’í Faith. He married Sandra Elaine Rocco (September 1, 1942 – June 12, 2002)[11] on March 24, 1964. He adopted her son, director Marc Rocco (June 19, 1962 – May 1, 2009).[12] They had a daughter Jennifer, lawyer, producer, writer, son Lucien, and a grandson Anthony Dominic Rocco, mother Jennifer. Sandra died of cancer, aged 59. Rocco later met and then married Shannon Wilcox on October 15, 2005.[13]

Rocco died on July 18, 2015 of cancer in Studio City, Los Angeles.[14]

Filmography[edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1965 Motorpsycho Cory Maddox Alternative titles: Motor Mods and Rockers andRio Vengeance
1967 The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Diamond
1968 The Boston Strangler Detective at Apartment of Victim #10 Uncredited
1972 The Godfather Moe Greene
1973 Bonnie’s Kids Eddy
1973 The Friends of Eddie Coyle Jimmy Scalise
1973 Slither Man with Ice Cream
1973 Detroit 9000 Danny Bassett
1974 Three the Hard Way Lt. Di Nisco
1974 Freebie and the Bean D.A.
1975 Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins Vinnie
1975 Hearts of the West Earl
1977 Fire Sale Al
1978 Rabbit Test Sergeant Danny Bonhoff
1979 Voices Frank Rothman
1980 Herbie Goes Bananas Quinn
1980 The Stunt Man Police Chief Jake
1981 The Entity Jerry Anderson
1984 Cannonball Run II Tony
1985 Gotcha! Al
1985 Badge of the Assassin Detective Bill Butler NYPD
1987 Return to Horror High Harry Sleerik
1987 P.K. and the Kid Les
1987 Scenes from the Goldmine
1988 Lady in White Angelo “Al” Scarlatti Alternative title: The Mystery of the Lady in White
1989 Dream a Little Dream Gus Keller
1989 Wired Arnie Fromson
1991 The Pope Must Die Cardinal Rocco Alternative title: The Pope Must Die(t)
1992 Boris and Natasha: The Movie Sheldon Kaufman
1995 Get Shorty Jimmy Cap Uncredited
1996 That Thing You Do! Sol Siler
1997 Just Write Mr. McMurphy
1998 A Bug’s Life Thorny Voice
1998 Goodbye Lover Detective Crowley
1999 Dudley Do-Right Kumquat Chief
2000 The Last Producer Poker Player Alternative title: The Final Hit
2001 The Wedding Planner Salvatore Fiore
2002 The Country Bears Rip Holland
2003 The Job Vernon Cray
2006 Find Me Guilty Nick Calabrese Alternative title: Find Me Guilty: The Jackie Dee Story
2011 Batman: Year One Carmine Falcone Voice
2014 Scammerhead Ben Sarnus
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1967 Batman Block Episodes: “A Piece of Action” and “Batman’s Satisfaction
1970 That Girl Biff 1 episode
1972 The F.B.I. Matt Wilnor 1 episode
1972 Cannon Hit Man Season 2, Episode 11 – Hear No Evil
1973 Cannon Walter Koether Season 3, Episode 5 – Target in the Mirror
1973 Circle of Fear Joseph Moretti 1 episode
1974 The Rookies Earl Fisher 1 episode
1975 Cannon Paul Season 4, Episode 24 – Search and Destroy
1975 Three for the Road Pete Karras 14 episodes
1977 Barnaby Jones Harry Stroop 1 episode
1977 Starsky & Hutch Thomas Callendar 2 episodes
1977 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Ben Sylver 1 episode: “Lou’s Army Reunion” onYouTube
1978 The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank Ralph Corliss telefilm with Carol Burnett
1981–88 The Facts of Life Charlie Polniaczek Jo’s father
1980 CHiPs Ansgar Episodes: “The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party“: Part 1 and Part 2
1984 St. Elsewhere Roger Episode: “Breathless
1985 The Golden Girls Glen O’Brien Episode: “That Was No Lady
1985 The A-Team Sonny Monroe Episode: “Champ!
1987 Rags to Riches Michael Rapp 1 episode
1989 Murphy Brown Al Floss 1 episode
1989–90 The Famous Teddy Z Al Floss Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor – Comedy Series
1990 The Simpsons Roger Meyers, Jr. Episode: “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge
1991–92 Sibs Howie Ruscio 23 episodes
1994 The George Carlin Show Harry Rossetti 11 episodes
1995 Can’t Hurry Love Michael O’Donnell Episode: “Daddy’s Girl
1996 Pinky and the Brain Floyd Nesbit Episode: “Fly”
1996 Mad About You Mark Slotkin Episode: “Outbreak
1996 The Simpsons Roger Meyers, Jr. Episode: “The Day the Violence Died
1997 Early Edition Barney Kadison Episode: “Home
1997 Home Improvement Irv Schmayman 1 episode
1997 The Simpsons Roger Meyers, Jr. Episode: “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
1998 Michael Hayes Bernero 1 episode
1999 Family Law Goodman 1 episode
1999 Family Guy Soccer Mom Episode: “Mind Over Murder
2000 Walker, Texas Ranger Johnny “Giovanni Rossini” Rose Episodes: “Wedding Bells“: Part 1 and Part 2
2001 Family Guy Bea Arthur portraying Peter Griffin Episode: “Ready, Willing and Disabled
2001–04 The Division John Exstead Sr. 14 episodes
2005 ER Martin Trudeau Episode: “Two Ships
2007 The Wedding Bells Larry Herschfield Episode: “The Fantasy
2010 Party Down Howard Greengold Episode: “Constance Carmel Wedding
2012 Magic City Arthur Evans Season 1: 4 episodes so far
2012 Private Practice Ed Season 6: episode 1, “Aftershocks”
2014 Episodes Dick LeBlanc Season 3: Episode 8 and Season 4: Episode 6
2015 Maron David Rosen Season 3: Episode 1, “Stroke of Luck”

References[edit]

  1. Jump up^ “Alex Rocco Biography (1936-)”. FilmReference.com.
  2. Jump up^ Chozick, Amy (March 30, 2012). “Old Miami Beach: Sun, Schmaltz, Murder”.New York Times.
  3. Jump up^ Teresa, Vincent. “My Life in the Mafia.”
  4. Jump up^ Carr, Howie. “Alexander (Bobo) Petricone”. BostonHitman.com. Retrieved13 April 2012.
  5. Jump up^ Kimball, George. “Looking Back At An Unlikely Acquaintance With Whitey Bulger”. WBUR. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  6. Jump up^ Carr, Howie. “George V. Higgins’ Eddie Coyle: Even Better than True”. CriminalElement.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  7. Jump up^ Three for the Road. Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  8. Jump up^ Steve Hall. “Audi’s Godfather Ad Powerful, Stellar, Captivating”. adrants.com. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  9. Jump up^ “Alex Rocco – Fandango”. Fandango. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  10. Jump up^ “‘Flatliners’ Producer Directing ‘The Other’ -“. bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved19 July 2015.
  11. Jump up^ “RootsWeb: Database Index”. ancestry.com. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  12. Jump up^ McLellan, Dennis (May 29, 2009). “Marc Rocco dies at 46; filmmaker directed ‘Where the Day Takes You'”. Los Angeles Times.
  13. Jump up^ Obituary Sandie Rocco Copyright Coastal View (Carpinteria Valley, CA, USA) 2002
  14. Jump up^ Mike Barnes. “Alex Rocco Dead: ‘Godfather’ Actor Was 79”. The Hollywood Reporter.

External links[edit]

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