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Alex Rocco

Alex Rocco brought a forceful, streetwise presence to film and television, but his career was broader—and often funnier—than his best-known tough-guy roles suggest. Born Alessandro Federico Petricone Jr. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 29, 1936, he was raised in nearby Somerville and served in the National Guard during the Korean War. After moving to California, he took acting lessons from fellow Boston native Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy also encouraged him to take speech lessons and soften his heavy Boston accent. Petricone adopted the name Alex Rocco after spotting “Rocco” on a bakery truck, then made his film debut in Russ Meyer’s Motorpsycho! His defining early part arrived in 1972, when he played Las Vegas casino owner Moe Greene in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. Rocco gave Greene the confidence of a man accustomed to controlling the room, making his confrontations with the Corleones count. That same year, he returned to the Boston area to play a bank robber in The Friends of Eddie Coyle. He also helped Robert Mitchum research the title role by arranging meetings with local Irish-American gangsters. Rocco moved easily between crime pictures and comedy. He played Hollywood talent agent Al Floss on The Famous Teddy Z, receiving the 1990 Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. His other television work included Charlie Polniaczek, Jo’s father, on The Facts of Life, as well as later appearances in Magic City and Episodes. His final role was the curmudgeonly father of Matt LeBlanc’s character in Episodes. On film, Rocco appeared as Gus Keller in Dream a Little Dream, Miami mob boss Jimmy Capp in Get Shorty, Playtone Records founder Sol Siler in That Thing You Do!, and Salvatore in The Wedding Planner. He also developed a distinctive voice career, playing Roger Meyers Jr. on The Simpsons and contributing to Family Guy and A Bug’s Life. Across live action and animation, Rocco knew how to make a few sharp lines feel like a fully occupied corner of the movie or show.