Joe Spinell

Joe Spinell
Born	Joseph J. Spagnuolo October 28, 1936 Manhattan, New York
Died	January 13, 1989 (aged 52) Queens, New York
Other name(s)	Joe "Maniac" Spinell Joseph Spinell Joe Spinnel Joe Spinnell
Years active	1972 — 1989
Spouse(s)	Jean Jennings (February 1977–July 1979)

Joe Spinell (October 28, 1936 – January 13, 1989) was an American character actor, who appeared in numerous films from the 1970s to the 1980s.

Biography

Joe Spinell was born Joseph J. Spagnuolo in Manhattan, New York of Italian immigrant parents, and the last of six children. His father, Pelegrino Spagnuolo (b. 1892, d. 1950), died from liver and kidney disease. His mother Filomena Spagnuolo (b. 1903, d. 1987) was a bit-part actress who acted in a few movies, some of them alongside her son.^[1] Spinell stood 5 foot and 11 inches. He was born at his family's apartment in Manhattan's Little Italy. A few years after the death of his father, he moved with his mother and older siblings to Woodside, Queens, New York where he lived off-and-on for the remainder of his life. Spinell suffered most of his life from hemophilia as well as chronic asthma.

Because of his large, heavyset frame and imposing looks, Spinell was often cast as criminals, thugs, or dirty police officers. His most notable roles were as mafioso Willi Cicci in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, and as loan shark Tony Gazzo in Rocky and Rocky II. Although primarily known as a character actor, Spinell co-wrote and starred as a serial killer in the 1980 film, Maniac.

Spinell died in 1989 at the age of 52. The cause of his untimely death is arguable this day. Some say that his death was caused by heavy drug use, drinking and emotional distress in light of his mother passing away 2 years earlier. It is also speculated that he may have died from asthma complications, or bled to death from hemophilia related causes. He was planning a sequel to Maniac before his death. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens near his home. He is the distant cousin of New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Spinell was married to adult film star Jean Jennings from February 1977 to July 1979. Together they had one daughter, but they eventually divorced.

Filmography

• The Godfather (1972) as Willi Cicci (uncredited)
• The Seven-Ups (1973) as Toredano
• The Godfather Part II (1974) as Willi Cicci
• Rancho Deluxe (1975) as Mr. Coleson
• Farewell, My Lovely (1975) as Nick
• 92 in the Shade (1975) as Ollie Slatt
• Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976) as Cop
• Taxi Driver (1976) as the personnel officer
• Stay Hungry (1976) as Jabo
• Rocky (1976) as Tony Gazzo
• Sorcerer (1977) as Spider
• Big Wednesday (1978) as the psychologist
• Paradise Alley (1978) as Burp
• Nunzio (1978) as Angelo
• Starcrash (1979) as Count Zarth Arn
• Last Embrace (1979) as Man in cantina (uncredited)
• Winter Kills (1979) as Arthur Fletcher
• Rocky II (1979) as Tony Gazzo
• Cruising (1980) as Patrolman DiSimone
• Maniac (1980) as Frank Zito
• Forbidden Zone (1980) as Squeezit's Father
• Brubaker (1980) as Floyd Birdwell
• The Ninth Configuration (1980) as Lt. Spinell
• Melvin and Howard (1980) as a Go-Go club owner (uncredited)
• The First Deadly Sin (1980) as Charles Lipsky
• Nighthawks (1981) as Lt. Munafo
• National Lampoon Goes to the Movies (1982) as the Talent agent/Beauty show M.C. (segment: "Success Wanters")
• Night Shift (1982) as Manetti
• The Last Horror Film (1982) as Vinny Durand
• Monsignor (1982) as the bride's father
• Losin' It (1983) as a U.S. Customs Policeman
• The Last Fight (1983) The Boss
• Walking The Edge (1983) as Brusstar
• Vigilante (1983) as Eisenberg
• Eureka (1984) as Pete
• Hollywood Harry (1985) as Max Caldwell
• The Whoopee Boys (1986) as Guido Antonucci
• The Pick-up Artist (1987) as Eddie
• Deadly Illusion (1987) as a hit man
• Married to the Mob (1988) as Leonard 'Tiptoes' Mazzilli (scenes deleted)
• Operation Warzone (1988) as Delevane
• The Undertaker (1988) as Roscoe
• Rapid Fire (1989) as Hanson
• Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie (1989) as Mr. Robbie (short promo film)

Made-for-TV movies and other television works

• Strike Force (1975) as Sol Terranova
• The Godfather Saga (1977) as Willie Cicci (edited version of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II )
• Vampire (1979) as Captain Desher
• Nightside (1980) as Michael Vincent
• Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer (1983) as Escobar
• Out of the Darkness (1985) as Jim Halsey
• The Equalizer; 1 episode (1986)
• The Children of Times Square (1986) as a street vendor
• Blood Ties (1986) as Joey, 1st New York goon
• Night Heat; 3 episodes (1986-1987)

References

External links

• Joe Spinell at the Internet Movie Database
• Joe Spinell at the Notable Names Database
• Joe Spinell at Allmovie