Joe Spinell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joe Spinell (October 28, 1936, New York City – January 13, 1989), born Joseph J. Spagnuolo, was an Italian-American actor who played small roles in several famous films of the 1970s.

Spinell's his most notable roles are in Rocky and II, The Godfathers I and II, and Taxi Driver. Although primarily known as a character actor, Spinell co-wrote and starred as a serial killer in the 1980 William Lustig directed film, Maniac. Spinell, a hemophiliac, died from a heart attack in 1989 at the age of 52, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens near his home.

[edit] Selected Filmography

The Godfather (1972) as Willie Cicci
Cops and Robbers (1973) as Marty
The Seven-Ups (1973) as Toredano
The Godfather: Part II (1974) as Willie Cicci
Rancho Deluxe (1975) as Mr. Coleson
Strike Force (1975) (TVM) as Sol Terranova
Farewell, My Lovely (1975) as Nick
92 in the Shade (1975) as Ollie Slatt
Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976) as a policeman
Taxi Driver (1976) as the personnel officer
Stay Hungry (1976) as Jabo
Rocky (1976) as Tony Gazzo
Sorcerer (1977) as Spider
Nunzio (1978) as Angelo
Big Wednesday (1978) as the psychologist
Paradise Alley (1978) as Burp
The One Man Jury (1978) as Mike
Starcrash (1979) as Count Zarth Arn
Last Embrace (1979) as a random man in a cantina
Winter Kills (1979) as Arthur Fletcher
Rocky II (1979) as Tony Gazzo
Vampire (1979) (TVM) as Police Captain Desher
Cruising (1980) as Patrolman DiSimone
Maniac (1980) as Frank Zito
Forbidden Zone (1980) as Squeezit's Father
Nightside (1980) (TVM) as Michael Vincent
Brubaker (1980) as Floyd Birdwell
The Little Dragons (1980) as Yancey
The Ninth Configuration (1980) as Lt. Spinell
Melvin and Howard (1980) as a Go-Go club owner
The First Deadly Sin (1980) as Charles Lipsky
Nighthawks (1981) as Lt. Munafo, NYPD
National Lampoon Goes to the Movies (1982) as the talent agent and beauty show M.C. (segment: "Success Wanters")
A Question of Honor (1982) (TVM) as the masked police officer testifying
Night Shift (1982) as Manetti
The Last Horror Film ('The Fanatic') (1982) as Vinny Durand
Monsignor (1982) as the bride's father
One Down, Two to Go (1982) as Joe Spangler
Walking the Edge (1983) as Brusstar
Vigilante (1983) as Eisenberg the lawyer
Losin' It (1983) as a U.S. Customs Policeman
The Last Fight (1983) as the Boss
Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer (1983) (TVM) as Escobar, a hotel doorman
The Big Score (1983) as Mayfield
Eureka (1984) as Pete
Out of the Darkness (1985) (TVM) as Jim Halsey
Hollywood Harry (1985) as Max Caldwell
The Children of Times Square (1986) (TVM) as a street vendor
The Whoopee Boys (1986) as Guido Antonucci
Blood Ties (1986) as a hitman
The Messenger (1987) as Rico
The Pick-up Artist (1987) as Eddie
Deadly Illusion (1987) as a hitman
Married to the Mob (1988) as Leonard 'Tiptoes' Mazzilli (scenes deleted from final print)
The Undertaker (1988) as Roscoe
Operation Warzone (1988) as George Delevane
Rapid Fire (1989) as Hansen