Alex Rocco, the veteran tough-guy character actor with the gravelly voice best known for playing mobster and Las Vegas casino owner Moe Greene in The Godfather, has died. He was 79.
Rocco died Saturday, his daughter, Jennifer, announced on Facebook.
No other details of his death were immediately available. Rocco, who studied acting with the late Leonard Nimoy, a fellow Boston-area transplant, also was the voice of Roger Meyers Jr., the cigar-smoking chairman of the studio behind “Itchy and Scratchy” on The Simpsons, and he played Arthur Evans, the father of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character, on the stylish Starz series Magic City.
Rocco starred as a white Detroit detective who is reluctantly paired with a black detective (Hari Rhodes) in Arthur Marks’ Detroit 9000 (1973) and voiced an ant in A Bug’s Life (1998). “That was my greatest prize ever in life, because I did about eight lines as an ant, and I think I made over a million dollars,” he said in a 2012 interview.
Rocco won an Emmy Award in 1990 for best supporting actor in a comedy for playing sneaky Hollywood talent agent Al Floss on the short-lived CBS series The Famous Teddy Z, starring Jon Cryer.
He also had regular roles on The Facts of Life (as Charlie Polniaczek, the father of Nancy McKeon’s character, Jo), The George Carlin Show, Three for the Road, Sibs and The Division.
In the 2012 interview, Rocco said that landing the role of Jewish mobster Moe in The Godfather (1972) was “without a doubt, my biggest ticket anywhere. I mean that literally.” “When I got the part, I went in to Francis Ford Coppola, and in those days, the word was, ‘Read [Mazio Puzo’s] book,’ which I already did, and then the actor would suggest to him which part they would like. Well, I went for … I dunno, one of the Italian parts. Maybe the Richard Bright part [Al Neri]. But Coppola goes, ‘I got my Jew!’ And I went, ‘Oh no, Mr. Coppola, I’m Italian. I wouldn’t know how to play a Jew.’ And he goes, ‘Oh, shut up.’ [Laughs.] He says, ‘The Italians do this,’ and he punches his fingers up. ‘And the Jews do this,’ and his hand’s extended, the palm flat. Greatest piece of direction I ever got. I’ve been playing Jews ever since."
"And people on the golf course will say, ‘Hey, Alex, would you call my dad and leave a line from The Godfather?’ I say, ‘OK. “I buy you out, you don’t buy me out!” “He was bangin’ cocktail waitresses two at a time …” “Don’t you know who I am?” ’ [Laughs.] But I enjoy doing it. It’s fun. I’ve been leaving Moe Greene messages for 40 years.”
Born Alexander Federico Petricone in Cambridge, Mass., Rocco came to L.A. in the early 1960s and made his movie debut in Motorpsycho! (1965), directed by Russ Meyer, and he was a henchman on Batman in 1967 in the episodes in which the Dynamic Duo meet up with the Green Hornet and Kato. Rocco worked frequently with Alan Arkin, being paired with him on such films as Freebie and the Bean (1974), Hearts of The West (1975), Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975) and Fire Sale (1977).
His film résumé also includes The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), Joan Rivers’ Rabbit Test (1978), The Stunt Man (1980), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), The Pope Must Diet (1991), Get Shorty (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), The Wedding Planner (2001), Smokin’ Aces (2006) and Find Me Guilty (2006). He recently showed up on Episodes and Maron, where he played another agent.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Carmine "The Bull" Agnello, Ex-Son-in-Law of John Gotti, Arrested as part of #OperationGoodfella
An ex-son-in-law of late New York mob boss John Gotti was arrested in Ohio on Wednesday in what police described as a scheme to scrap stolen cars.
Carmine "The Bull" Agnello was charged with theft, money laundering and conspiracy in connection with the alleged car-scrapping operation.
He was also charged with drugging race horses before competition, animal cruelty and "corrupting" sports following an investigation by Cleveland police and the Cuyahoga County prosecutors office, authorities said.
The charges were brought as part of an 18-month investigation called "Operation Goodfella."
"We are not going to let the Mafia sink their teeth back into Cleveland and make this into an outpost for their New York-based corrupt enterprises," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said in a statement.
Police said they found multiple firearms and $45,000 cash in a search at Agnello's home in Bentleyville, Ohio, about 20 miles southeast of Cleveland, and also found evidence of illegal dumping at his scrap metal business in Cleveland.
Cleveland police said they had been investigating scrap metal yards after very few vehicles were recovered despite a spike in car thefts in the past three years. They focused on Agnello's yard because of the large amount of cars it processed.
Police accused Agnello of defrauding a regional scrap metal processor of more than $3 million since 2014 by weighing down stolen scrapped cars with dirt.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted police as saying Agnello paid teenagers to steal cars, usually for $20 or $25 per vehicle, and bring them to his business.
Cleveland Deputy Police Chief Edward Tomba said Agnello, who is in his mid-50s, had been convicted in New York on federal charges in 2001 similar to those brought by Cleveland and served seven years in prison.
Agnello and Gotti's daughter, Victoria Gotti, star of the reality program "Growing Up Gotti," divorced in 2002.
Carmine "The Bull" Agnello was charged with theft, money laundering and conspiracy in connection with the alleged car-scrapping operation.
He was also charged with drugging race horses before competition, animal cruelty and "corrupting" sports following an investigation by Cleveland police and the Cuyahoga County prosecutors office, authorities said.
The charges were brought as part of an 18-month investigation called "Operation Goodfella."
"We are not going to let the Mafia sink their teeth back into Cleveland and make this into an outpost for their New York-based corrupt enterprises," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said in a statement.
Police said they found multiple firearms and $45,000 cash in a search at Agnello's home in Bentleyville, Ohio, about 20 miles southeast of Cleveland, and also found evidence of illegal dumping at his scrap metal business in Cleveland.
Cleveland police said they had been investigating scrap metal yards after very few vehicles were recovered despite a spike in car thefts in the past three years. They focused on Agnello's yard because of the large amount of cars it processed.
Police accused Agnello of defrauding a regional scrap metal processor of more than $3 million since 2014 by weighing down stolen scrapped cars with dirt.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted police as saying Agnello paid teenagers to steal cars, usually for $20 or $25 per vehicle, and bring them to his business.
Cleveland Deputy Police Chief Edward Tomba said Agnello, who is in his mid-50s, had been convicted in New York on federal charges in 2001 similar to those brought by Cleveland and served seven years in prison.
Agnello and Gotti's daughter, Victoria Gotti, star of the reality program "Growing Up Gotti," divorced in 2002.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Mafia 3 Release Date Update
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Triple A third-person shooter video game "Mafia," but it looks like they have to rein in their emotions some more as game developer and publisher 2K Games failed to reveal the good news during the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) 2015.
Various speculations suggest that "Mafia 3" could be launched during the first game's 13th anniversary on August 28. Others think that it will be earlier, and that it is possible that the game will officially debut at the upcoming Gamescon in Cologne, Germany on August 5-8.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K Games' parent company, has recently registered four domains under the name of "Mafia 3." Some websites conclude that this move is in preparation for the game's upcoming release.
Meanwhile, Crossmap claims that the AAA game that 2K will be releasing in March 2016 is the upcoming "Mafia 3." Take-Two Interactive has earlier posted an announcement on its website regarding the highlights of the company's fiscal year, with the news on the new triple-A included.
According to the Crossmap, there are actually two signs proving that the news is pertaining to the video game. The first clue is the fact that 'Mafia 2' has been offered earlier this month for free on Xbox 360 for the Gold Subscription members. The second one is that Rick Pasqualone (voice actor for Mafia 2) has hinted of about it back in January.
Meawhile, Master Herald reports that new characters – Tony, Mickey, and Franklin – will be introduced in "Mafia 3." Tony is reportedly of Italian descent, thin, and calm and is in his early 30s, while Mickey is described as big talker, of average built, and younger. The third addition, Franklin, is a six feet African-American, also in his 20s, with a muscular built. All characters are from Louisiana.
2K Games has yet to make an announcement confirming the latest reports.
Various speculations suggest that "Mafia 3" could be launched during the first game's 13th anniversary on August 28. Others think that it will be earlier, and that it is possible that the game will officially debut at the upcoming Gamescon in Cologne, Germany on August 5-8.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K Games' parent company, has recently registered four domains under the name of "Mafia 3." Some websites conclude that this move is in preparation for the game's upcoming release.
Meanwhile, Crossmap claims that the AAA game that 2K will be releasing in March 2016 is the upcoming "Mafia 3." Take-Two Interactive has earlier posted an announcement on its website regarding the highlights of the company's fiscal year, with the news on the new triple-A included.
According to the Crossmap, there are actually two signs proving that the news is pertaining to the video game. The first clue is the fact that 'Mafia 2' has been offered earlier this month for free on Xbox 360 for the Gold Subscription members. The second one is that Rick Pasqualone (voice actor for Mafia 2) has hinted of about it back in January.
Meawhile, Master Herald reports that new characters – Tony, Mickey, and Franklin – will be introduced in "Mafia 3." Tony is reportedly of Italian descent, thin, and calm and is in his early 30s, while Mickey is described as big talker, of average built, and younger. The third addition, Franklin, is a six feet African-American, also in his 20s, with a muscular built. All characters are from Louisiana.
2K Games has yet to make an announcement confirming the latest reports.
It's Not Unusual for Tom Jones to Have Mob Protection
Tom Jones received Mafia protection when he relocated from his native Wales to America
.
The singer, who has made his home in Los Angeles, confesses he was a little nervous of the gangster offer but now enjoys the fearsome security - even though it's totally unnecessary.
He says, "My manager was half expecting someone to come forward and want something. But that didn't happen, as far as I know."
"The only thing I used to get was, 'If anyone leans on you, you call.' But nobody leaned on me, so luckily I didn't have to call.
"They were protecting me, rather than wanting anything."
.The singer, who has made his home in Los Angeles, confesses he was a little nervous of the gangster offer but now enjoys the fearsome security - even though it's totally unnecessary.
He says, "My manager was half expecting someone to come forward and want something. But that didn't happen, as far as I know."
"The only thing I used to get was, 'If anyone leans on you, you call.' But nobody leaned on me, so luckily I didn't have to call.
"They were protecting me, rather than wanting anything."
President Kennedy Book Links Mob to Assassination
A book claims that three mob bosses were behind President John F. Kennedy's assassination
. Authors Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann also say that law enforcement agencies protected the three Mafiosi because they had infiltrated a plan to invade Cuba, the St. Petersburg Times reported. The book says the government could not fully investigate without exposing the invasion plot.
Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr., according to the book "Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK," planned to have Kennedy killed in Tampa. But the attempt misfired and Trafficante instead arranged with New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello for the assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.
While conspiracy theorists have been pitching the mob connection for years, linking it to Cuba is new. Waldron and Hartmann say that the mobsters not only hated Kennedy because of his brother's investigations but wanted to get Castro out of Cuba to return to their profitable businesses there.
. Authors Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann also say that law enforcement agencies protected the three Mafiosi because they had infiltrated a plan to invade Cuba, the St. Petersburg Times reported. The book says the government could not fully investigate without exposing the invasion plot.Tampa mob boss Santo Trafficante Jr., according to the book "Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK," planned to have Kennedy killed in Tampa. But the attempt misfired and Trafficante instead arranged with New Orleans boss Carlos Marcello for the assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.
While conspiracy theorists have been pitching the mob connection for years, linking it to Cuba is new. Waldron and Hartmann say that the mobsters not only hated Kennedy because of his brother's investigations but wanted to get Castro out of Cuba to return to their profitable businesses there.
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