Character actor Abe Vigoda dies at 94

In casting “The Godfather” (1972), filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola went looking for little-known stage actors to play in supporting roles.

He hadn’t appeared in a film in more than a year, but I’ll always miss him, and one of the reasons why is because he in many ways represented television in the 1970s.

In “The Godfather“, Sal Tessio is one of the men loyal to Vito Corleone, though he later betrays the don’s son and successor, Michael, and died for his treachery. Do you know how I found out what happened? “He was a great star”. People don’t seem to stop and ask me anymore. Notable to him was the presence of actual NY mob family members on the set.

Vigoda attributed his high percentage in winning roles to his performance in auditions. Vigoda was on the show until 1977.

“Abe was just 53 when he first started Barney Miller. More so than me”, Linden told CNN. He has played in over 65 works in film and television and has been nominated for a prime time Emmy award three years in a row.

Vigoda gave an example of how fans assumed he really had Detective Fish’s ailments.

Pondering his deferred achievement, Vigoda once commented: “When I was a young fellow, I was advised achievement needed to come in my childhood”. I’d say Tessio got a pretty good deal in the end. The university said Professor Minsky died in Boston of a cerebral hemorrhage.

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2009, Vigoda spoke about his role as Tessio. “Like Fish, we all meet with rejection, and things are seldom easy, no matter what we do”, he said.

Abe Vigoda has reportedly died of old age. Two years into Barney’s run, that popularity led to a spinoff, Fish, that even at the time was considered by many to be ill-advised.

Later, talk show host David Letterman tried to summon Abe’s ghost on A Late Night with David Letterman, prompting Vigoda to walk onstage with the memorable line, “I’m not dead yet, you pinhead!” She made a statement to the Associated Press that the actor had passed away in his sleep.

The actor was remembered by Conan O’ Brien after his monologue on Tuesday. Vigoda took it in stride and it became a running joke. People could quickly find out whether he was living through a website dedicated to answering that question.

“Abe Vigoda – Roast in peace”, Ross concluded.

“My wife keeps getting condolence cards from people who believe I died”, Vigoda told the Toronto Star in 1988.

“Abe was a huge part of our show in NY”, O’Brien said. In honor of Ruth Robinson Duccini, the last female Munchkin.

To prepare himself for the role – a high-ranking mobster, or capo, who runs a crew of his own – Mr. Vigoda frequented the Lower East Side and other NY neighborhoods that are backdrops in the story.