Joe Spinell

Known for ActingBorn 1936-10-28Died 1989-01-13Manhattan, New York

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

Movies & web series

The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959

The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980

The Godfather

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television

The Godfather Part II

A Question of Honor

Taxi Driver

K.O. Kippers

Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer

Portrait of a Teenage Shoplifter

The History of 'Cruising'

40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic

Rocky

Sorcerer

Rocky II

The Equalizer

Brubaker

The American Nightmare

Big Wednesday

Exorcising 'Cruising'

Farewell, My Lovely

Cruising

Melvin and Howard

Maniac II: Mr. Robbie

Thriller Zone

Nighthawks

The Ninth Configuration

Maniac

FantastiCozzi

The Children of Times Square

Maniac

Blood Ties

Next Stop, Greenwich Village

Out of the Darkness

The Seven-Ups

Vigilante

Cops and Robbers

Forbidden Zone

Vampire

Night Shift

Married to the Mob

The Big Score

Nightside

The First Deadly Sin

Paradise Alley

Strike Force

92 in the Shade

The Pick-up Artist