Alex Rocco
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| Alex Rocco | |
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 Rocco at the 1990 Annual Emmy Awards, September 16 |
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| Born | Alexander Federico Petricone, Jr. February 29, 1936 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Spouse(s) | Sandie Elaine Rocco (1966–2002; her death) Shannon Wilcox (2005–present) |
Alex Rocco (born Alexander Federico Petricone, Jr., February 29, 1936) is an American actor. His roles have ranged from comedy to playing gangsters in Mafia movies.
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Early life[edit]
Rocco was born Alexander Federico Petricone, Jr. in Cambridge, Massachusetts but raised in Somerville, Massachusetts, the son of Mary (née Di Biase; October 1909 - August 1978) and Alessandro Sam Petricone.[1] He is 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 War of 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.[5] (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.[6] 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.[7])
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.
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 the United States. 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.
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, with Vincent 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.[8]
Rocco also has 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 has expressed true gratitude to The Simpsons' staff for allowing him his first voiceover role. He has also taken a part on an episode of Family Guy (in the episode "Mind Over Murder", he had a memorable role as the masculine woman) and he is known for having played Charlie Polniaczek, Jo's father on The Facts of Life. From 1989 to 1990, Rocco was a regular on the television comedy series The Famous Teddy Z in which he played "Al Floss", a slick cheesy Hollywood talent agent and foil to Jon Cryer in the title role, an ex-mailroom clerk turned superagent. Rocco 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.
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 portrays 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.[9]
In Fallout: New Vegas he voices Big Sal, one of the bosses of the Gomorrah casino's ruling family, the "Omertas."
Rocco currently is one of the stars of the Starz cable channel's crime-drama series, Magic City.
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)[10] on March 24, 1964. He adopted her son, director Marc Rocco (June 19, 1962–May 1, 2009).[11] 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.[12]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Motorpsycho | Cory Maddox | Alternative titles: Motor Mods and Rockers and Rio 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 | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 (Ray Bones' boss) | Uncredited |
| 1996 | That Thing You Do! | Sol Siler | |
| 1997 | Just Write | Harold's Father | |
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | Thorny | Voice |
| 1998 | Goodbye Lover | Detective Crowley | |
| 1999 | Dudley Do-Right | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1973 | Circle of Fear | Joseph Moretti | 1 episode |
| 1974 | The Rookies | Earl Fisher | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Three for the Road | Pete Karras | 14 episodes |
| 1977 | Barnaby Jones | Harry Stroop | 1 episode |
| 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, Annie's Father | 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" |
References[edit]
- ^ "Alex Rocco Biography (1936-)". FilmReference.com.
- ^ Chozick, Amy (March 30, 2012). "Old Miami Beach: Sun, Schmaltz, Murder". New York Times.
- ^ Teresa, Vincent. "My Life in the Mafia."
- ^ Carr, Howie. "Alexander (Bobo) Petricone". BostonHitman.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ "The Real Howie Car Show".[dead link]
- ^ Kimball, George. "Looking Back At An Unlikely Acquaintance With Whitey Bulger". WBUR. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
- ^ Carr, Howie. "George V. Higgins’ Eddie Coyle: Even Better than True". CriminalElement.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ "Three for the Road". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ AdRants Audi's Godfather Ad Powerful, Stellar, Captivating
- ^ Social Security Death Index
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (May 29, 2009). "Marc Rocco dies at 46; filmmaker directed 'Where the Day Takes You'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Obituary Sandie Rocco Copyright Coastal View (Carpinteria Valley, CA, USA) 2002
External links[edit]
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