Abe Vigoda, sunken-eyed ‘Godfather,’ ‘Barney Miller’ actor, dies at 94

Abe Vigoda, the sunken-eyed character actor known for playing the treacherous Mafia boss Tessio in The Godfather and Det. He had been staying at her home in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

Vigoda’s appearances in 1972’s “The Godfather” and 1974’s “The Godfather Part II” secured his place in film history – “Tell Mike it was only business”.

A website was set up to monitor Abe Vigoda’s status after People declared him dead in 1982.

How and why did Abe Vigoda’s death get falsely reported for over 30 years?

Mr. Vigoda was cast as the worn-out Detective Fish on the station-house sitcom “Barney Miller, ” opposite Hal Linden in the title role.

Vigoda also is remembered for his role as hulking mob hitman Sal Tessio in Francis Ford Coppola’s first two Godfather films. Also gone are super producer Run Run Shaw and soul singer Clarence Reid, better known as the foul-mouth grandfather of hip-hop, Blowfly.

On Tuesday, it had been updated, with a stark white screen and just the word “Yes” and the date of his death.

Abraham Charles Vigoda was born on Feb 24, 1921, in NY and was the son of a tailor on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. For his contribution to an anthology edited by Alan King, “Matzo Balls for Breakfast and Other Memories of Growing Up Jewish,”, Vigoda offered a perhaps surprisingly straight-faced recollection: “When I go to the synagogue today, there is a deep feeling that this is my heritage, this is my people“. He was 94 and died of his old old, not because of any disease.

“Alan King, Abe Vigoda, there was one other person (in the audience), Abe Beame maybe, the former mayor… and I said something to the effect of ‘holy mackerel, I’ve seen younger faces on cash!” he laughed.

He appeared in 63 episodes of Barney Miller before ultimately getting his own spinoff a few years later.

He often took part in a David Letterman bit during the late 1980s to remind viewers he was still alive.

Vigoda, whose character had already been spun off, missed the event because he was acting in a play in Calgary.

Abe Vigoda was married to Beatrice Schy from 1968 to 1992.

His film work includes The Don Is Dead (1973), Prancer (1989), Look Who’s Talking(1989), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Sugar Hill (1993), Jury Duty (1995), Good Burger (1997), Chump Change (2000) and Crime Spree (2003). “Vigoda is survived by his daughter, grandchildren Jamie, Paul and Steven, and a great-grandson”, Brietbart reports.