Joe Spinell
Encyclopedia
Joe Spinell was an American
character actor
, who appeared in numerous films in the 1970s and 1980s.
, 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. Spinell stood 5 foot and 11 inches. He was born at his family's apartment in Manhattan's Little Italy on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. 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 corrupt police officer
s. 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
.
Joe Spinell died in his apartment on January 13, 1989 at the age of 52. The cause of his untimely death is arguable to this day. Some say that his death was caused by sudden heart attack due to heavy drug use, drinking and emotional distress in light of his mother passing away two 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 the American football team St. Louis Ram's
Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo
.
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Spinell was married to adult film star
Jean Jennings from February 1977 to July 1979. Together they had one daughter, but they eventually divorced.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, who appeared in numerous films in the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography
Joe Spinell was born Joseph J. Spagnuolo in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
of Italian immigrant parents, and the last of six children. His father, Pelegrino Spagnuolo (b. 1892, d. 1950), died from liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
and kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
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. Spinell stood 5 foot and 11 inches. He was born at his family's apartment in Manhattan's Little Italy on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. 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
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
.
Because of his large, heavyset frame and imposing looks, Spinell was often cast as criminals, thugs, or corrupt police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s. His most notable roles were as mafioso
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
Willi Cicci
Willi Cicci
Willi Cicci is a fictional character in The Godfather film series. The character of Cicci is loosely based on real-life Mafia soldier and informant Joe Valachi.-Appearances:...
in The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
and The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the...
, and as loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
Tony Gazzo in Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
and Rocky II
Rocky II
Rocky II is a 1979 American film that is the sequel to Rocky, a motion picture in which an unknown boxer had been given a chance to go the distance with the World Heavyweight Champion. Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young and Talia Shire reprised their...
. Although primarily known as a character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, Spinell co-wrote and starred as a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
in the 1980
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
film, Maniac
Maniac (1980 film)
Maniac is a 1980 American slasher film , about a disturbed and traumatized serial killer who scalps his victims. It was directed by William Lustig and written by Joe Spinell and C. A. Rosenberg...
.
Joe Spinell died in his apartment on January 13, 1989 at the age of 52. The cause of his untimely death is arguable to this day. Some say that his death was caused by sudden heart attack due to heavy drug use, drinking and emotional distress in light of his mother passing away two years earlier. It is also speculated that he may have died from asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
complications, or bled to death from hemophilia related causes. He was planning a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Maniac before his death. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Queens
Calvary Cemetery, Queens
The Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in Queens has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the United States.The offices of Calvary Cemetery are located at 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd. in Woodside in the New York City borough of Queens, New York. The cemetery is managed by the Trustees of...
near his home. He is the distant cousin of the American football team St. Louis Ram's
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo
Steve Spagnuolo
Steven Christopher Spagnuolo is the current head coach of the St. Louis Rams. He was previously the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants from January 2007 to January 2009, and also served for eight years under defensive coordinator Jim Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles.-Early years:Born...
.
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
Jean Jennings from February 1977 to July 1979. Together they had one daughter, but they eventually divorced.
Filmography
- The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
(1972) as Willi CicciWilli CicciWilli Cicci is a fictional character in The Godfather film series. The character of Cicci is loosely based on real-life Mafia soldier and informant Joe Valachi.-Appearances:...
(uncredited) - The Seven-UpsThe Seven-UpsThe Seven-Ups is a 1973 American film released by 20th Century Fox. It stars Roy Scheider as a renegade policeman who is the leader of The Seven-Ups, a police team who uses dirty, unorthodox tactics to snare their quarry on charges leading to prison sentences of seven years or more upon...
(1973) as Toredano - The Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part II is a 1974 American gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the...
(1974) as Willi Cicci - Rancho DeluxeRancho DeluxeRancho Deluxe is a comedy western film that was directed by Frank Perry and released in 1975. Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston star as two cattle rustlers in modern-day Montana who plague a wealthy ranch owner, played by Clifton James....
(1975) as Mr. Coleson - Farewell, My LovelyFarewell, My Lovely (1975 film)Farewell, My Lovely is a neo-noir film directed by Dick Richards and featuring Robert Mitchum and Charlotte Rampling. The picture is based on the novel Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler.-Plot:...
(1975) as Nick - 92 in the Shade (1975) as Ollie Slatt
- Next Stop, Greenwich VillageNext Stop, Greenwich VillageNext Stop, Greenwich Village is a 1976 romantic comedy drama film, set in the early 1950s, written and directed by Paul Mazursky, featuring, amongst others, Lenny Baker, Shelley Winters, Ellen Greene, Lois Smith, and Christopher Walken. The film was generally well received by critics...
(1976) as a cop - Taxi DriverTaxi DriverTaxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
(1976) as the personnel officer - Stay HungryStay Hungry (film)Stay Hungry is a 1976 dramatic comedy film by director Bob Rafelson from a screenplay by Charles Gaines . The story centers on a young Birmingham, Alabama, scion, played by Jeff Bridges, who gets involved in a shady real-estate deal. In order to close the deal, he needs to buy a gym building to...
(1976) as Jabo - RockyRockyRocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
(1976) as Tony Gazzo - SorcererSorcerer (film)Sorcerer is a 1977 thriller adventure film, produced and directed by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. It is the second remake of the 1953 French film Le Salaire de la Peur ....
(1977) as Spider - Big WednesdayBig WednesdayBig Wednesday is an American coming of age film directed by John Milius. Milius co-wrote Big Wednesday with Denny Aaberg, and it is loosely based on their own experiences at Malibu and a short story Aaberg had published in a 1974 Surfer Magazine entitled "No Pants Mance." The picture stars...
(1978) as the psychologist - Paradise AlleyParadise AlleyParadise Alley is a 1978 film about three brothers in Hell's Kitchen, New York City in the 1940s who become involved in professional wrestling. It was written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, and was given the green light by Universal Pictures after Stallone's success with 1976's Rocky...
(1978) as Burp - Nunzio (1978) as Angelo
- The One Man JuryThe One Man Jury-Cast:* Jack Palance ... Lieutenant Wade* Christopher Mitchum ... Sergeant Blake* Pamela Susan Shoop ... Wendy Sommerset* Jeff McCracken ... Billy Joe Kerman-External links:*...
(1978) as Mike Abatino - StarcrashStarcrashStarcrash is an Italian 1979 science fiction film, which was also released under the English title of The Adventures of Stella Star . The film is a low budget and is often regarded as a rip-off of Star Wars...
(1979) as Count Zarth Arn - Last EmbraceLast EmbraceLast Embrace is a 1979 thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme. Based on the novel The 13th Man by Murray Teigh Bloom, it stars Roy Scheider, Janet Margolin and Christopher Walken.-Plot summary:...
(1979) as Man in cantina (uncredited) - Winter KillsWinter Kills (film)Winter Kills is a 1979 film based on the novel by Richard Condon. Its cast includes Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins, Eli Wallach, Richard Boone, Toshirō Mifune, Sterling Hayden, Dorothy Malone, Ralph Meeker, Elizabeth Taylor, Berry Berenson and Susan Walden.Most of the film was lensed by...
(1979) as Arthur Fletcher - Rocky IIRocky IIRocky II is a 1979 American film that is the sequel to Rocky, a motion picture in which an unknown boxer had been given a chance to go the distance with the World Heavyweight Champion. Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Tony Burton, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young and Talia Shire reprised their...
(1979) as Tony Gazzo - CruisingCruising (film)Cruising is a 1980 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name, by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker, about a serial killer targeting gay men, in particular those associated with the S&M scene.Poorly reviewed by critics,...
(1980) as Patrolman DiSimone - The Little DragonsThe Little DragonsThe Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
(1980) as Yancy - ManiacManiac (1980 film)Maniac is a 1980 American slasher film , about a disturbed and traumatized serial killer who scalps his victims. It was directed by William Lustig and written by Joe Spinell and C. A. Rosenberg...
(1980) as Frank Zito - Forbidden ZoneForbidden ZoneForbidden Zone is a 1982 musical comedy film based upon the stage performances of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The film stars Hervé Villechaize, Susan Tyrrell and members of the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and features appearances by Warhol Superstar Viva, Joe Spinell and The...
(1980) as Squeezit's Father - BrubakerBrubakerBrubaker is an American 1980 film about a prison in distress and the Warden Henry Brubaker who attempts to reform the system....
(1980) as Floyd Birdwell - The Ninth ConfigurationThe Ninth ConfigurationThe Ninth Configuration, is an American-made film, released in 1980, directed by William Peter Blatty...
(1980) as Lt. Spinell - Melvin and HowardMelvin and HowardMelvin and Howard is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as the beneficiary of USD$156 million in a will allegedly handwritten by Howard Hughes that was...
(1980) as a Go-Go club owner (uncredited) - The First Deadly SinThe First Deadly SinThe First Deadly Sin is a 1980 American film produced by and starring Frank Sinatra, along with Faye Dunaway, David Dukes, Brenda Vaccaro, James Whitmore, Martin Gabel in his final acting role, and Bruce Willis in his film debut...
(1980) as Charles Lipsky - NighthawksNighthawks (film)Nighthawks is a 1981 thriller film starring Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, Rutger Hauer, Lindsay Wagner, Persis Khambatta, and Nigel Davenport. It was directed by Bruce Malmuth. The original music score was composed by Keith Emerson.-Storyline:...
(1981) as Lt. Munafo - National Lampoon Goes to the MoviesNational Lampoon Goes to the MoviesNational Lampoon Goes to the Movies is a 1982 National Lampoon anthology of three shorts spoofing everything from personal growth films, glossy soap operas, and police stories...
(1982) as the Talent Agent/Beauty show M.C. (segment: "Success Wanters") - Night ShiftNight Shift (film)Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also...
(1982) as Manetti - The Last Horror FilmThe Last Horror FilmThe Last Horror Film is a 1982 cult horror film directed by David Winters and starring Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro...
(also known as Fanatic) (1982) as Vinny Durand - MonsignorMonsignor (film)Monsignor is a 1982 drama film about a Roman Catholic priest's rise through the ranks of the Vatican, during and after World War II. Along the way, he involves the Vatican in the black marketeering operations of a Mafia don, and has an affair with a woman in the postulant stage of becoming a nun...
(1982) as the bride's father - Losin' ItLosin' ItLosin' It is a 1983 comedy film starring Tom Cruise, Shelley Long, Jackie Earle Haley, and John Stockwell. The film is directed by Curtis Hanson. It was filmed largely in Calexico, California.-Plot summary:...
(1983) as a U.S. Customs Policeman - The Last Fight (1983) as The Boss
- Walking The EdgeWalking the EdgeWalking the Edge is a 1983 crime film, action film written by Curt Allen and directed by Norbert Meisel. The film stars Robert Forster, Nancy Kwan, Joe Spinell, A Martinez, James McIntire, Wayne Woodson, Luis Contreras....
(1983) as Brusstar - VigilanteVigilante (film)Vigilante is a 1983 film directed by William Lustig. It stars Robert Forster and Fred Williamson.-Plot:New York City factory worker Eddie Marino is a solid citizen and regular guy, until the day a sadistic street gang brutally assaults his wife and murders his child. But when a corrupt judge sets...
(1983) as Eisenberg - EurekaEureka (1984 film)Eureka is a 1983 film, directed by Nicolas Roeg. It is the story of a Klondike prospector, Jack McCann who strikes it rich, yet ends up fearing that his daughter Tracy and his son-in-law are scheming to take his wealth and his soul; moreover, greedy investors are also hunting McCann's...
(1984) as Pete - Hollywood Harry (1985) as Max Caldwell
- The Whoopee BoysThe Whoopee BoysThe Whoopee Boys is a 1986 comedy film starring Michael O'Keefe and Paul Rodriguez.-Cast:*Michael O'Keefe as Jake Bateman*Paul Rodriguez as Barney Benar*Denholm Elliott as Col. Phelps*Eddie Deezen as Eddie Lipschitz...
(1986) as Guido Antonucci - Maniac 2: Mr. Robbie (1986) as Mr. Robbie (short promo film)
- The Pick-up ArtistThe Pick-up Artist (film)The Pick-up Artist is a 1987 American film written and directed by James Toback. This romantic comedy starred Molly Ringwald and Robert Downey Jr. It was rated PG-13 by the MPAA.-Plot:...
(1987) as Eddie - Deadly IllusionDeadly IllusionDeadly Illusion is a 1987 film directed by Larry Cohen. It stars Billy Dee Williams, Vanity and Morgan Fairchild. The genres of the film are Action, Crime and Thriller.-Cast:*Billy Dee Williams as Hamberger*Vanity as Rina...
(1987) as a hit man - Married to the MobMarried to the MobMarried to the Mob is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Modine.Michelle Pfeiffer, in something of a departure from her previous roles, gave an acclaimed lead performance as a gangster's widow from Brooklyn, opposite Matthew Modine as the...
(1988) as Leonard 'Tiptoes' Mazzilli (scenes deleted) - Operation Warzone (1988) as Delevane
- The Undertaker (1988) as Roscoe
- Rapid FireRapid FireRapid Fire is the name of several films:*Rapid Fire , starring Brandon Lee*Rapid Fire Other*Rapid Fire,a song by Judas Priest*Rapid Fire , a fictional character in the G.I. Joe universe...
(1989) as Hanson (final role)
Made-for-TV movies and other television works
- Strike ForceStrike ForceStrike Force was an American action-adventure/police procedural television series that aired on ABC during the 1981–1982 television season. The program starred Robert Stack as Capt. Frank Murphy, the leader of a group of specialized detectives and police officers whose job is to stop violent...
(1975) as Sol Terranova - The Godfather SagaThe Godfather SagaThe Godfather Saga is a TV miniseries that combines The Godfather and The Godfather Part II into one film. It originally aired on NBC over four consecutive nights in November 1977...
(1977) as Willie Cicci (edited version of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II ) - Vampire (1979) as Captain Desher
- NightsideNightsideNightside may refer to:*The Canadian late-night radio talk show The Nightside, hosted by Mark Elliot*NBC Nightside, NBC's now-defunct late night news program, comparable to ABC's World News Now and CBS' Up to the Minute....
(1980) as Michael Vincent - Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer (1983) as Escobar
- Out of the DarknessOut of the DarknessOut of the Darkness is a 1985 telefilm about the life of the New York City detective who tracked down and arrested serial killer David Berkowitz.-Cast :*Martin Sheen ... Eddie Zigo*Hector Elizondo ... Father George...
(1985) as Jim Halsey - The EqualizerThe EqualizerThe Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
; as a Mob boss; episode #1.16 'Wash Up' (1986) - The Children of Times Square (1986) as a street vendor
- Blood TiesBlood Ties-Film:* Blood Ties , a 1964 film directed by Mikhail Yershov and starring Vija Artmane and Evgeniy Matveyev* Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann, a 1994 documentary film-Television:...
(1986) as Joey, 1st New York goon - Night HeatNight HeatNight Heat is a Canadian police drama series, which aired on CTV from 1985 to 1991. The show also aired on CBS in the United States from 1987 to 1993 and was the first Canadian-produced drama series to air on an American network...
as various roles; 3 episodes (1986–1987)