Frank Campanella

Frank Campanella (March 12, 1919 – December 30, 2006) was an American actor born in New York City to Philip and Mary O. Campanella, both Sicilian immigrants. The family settled in the Washington Heights neighborhood of upper Manhattan, where Campanella grew up speaking primarily Italian. He had two younger brothers: actor Joseph Campanella and Philip Campanella, who became a union plumber. Campanella graduated from Manhattan College in 1940 with a background in drama. His fluency in Italian proved professionally valuable during World War II, when he served as a civilian translator for the U.S. government.

Campanella's Broadway career spanned from 1947 to 1965 and encompassed a range of productions across genres. His earliest stage credits included Galileo in 1947 and the play Volpone in 1948, followed by Remains to Be Seen and Stalag 17, both in 1951. He continued with Sixth Finger in a Five Finger Glove in 1956, the drama The Deadly Game in 1960, Nowhere to Go But Up in 1962, Nobody Loves an Albatross in 1963, and Guys and Dolls in 1965.

Beyond the stage, Campanella built an extensive screen career, accumulating more than 100 film and television appearances, frequently cast in tough-guy and law enforcement roles. His first screen credit came in 1949, playing Mook, the Moon-Man in the science-fiction series Captain Video and His Video Rangers. His film work included a role as a bartender in Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967), alongside Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, as well as parts in What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), The Stone Killer (1973), and Capone (1975), in which he portrayed Big Jim Colosimo. Later film credits included Heaven Can Wait (1978), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), Death Wish II (1982), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Nothing in Common (1986), Overboard (1987), Beaches (1988), Pretty Woman (1990), and Dick Tracy (1990). He also assisted Robert De Niro in learning Sicilian for De Niro's portrayal of the young Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather: Part II (1974).

On television, Campanella appeared in a wide range of well-known series, often in police and authority roles. Early in his career he made three appearances on the syndicated crime drama Decoy, starring Beverly Garland, playing a different police lieutenant in each episode; one of those appearances featured his brother Joseph in the same episode. In 1969 he appeared as Sheriff Quartermine in the episode "Journey to Scathelock" on The Virginian. His television credits also included Ironside, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, All in the Family, Maude, Chico and the Man, Rhoda, The Rockford Files, Quincy, M.E., and The Love Boat.

Campanella died on December 30, 2006, at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 87.