Free Republic

Character Abe Vigoda, whose leathery, sunken-eyed face made him ideal for playing the over-the-hill detective Phil Fish in the 1970s TV series "Barney Miller" and the doomed Mafia soldier in "The Godfather," died Tuesday at age 94. Vigoda's daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, told The Associated Press that Vigoda died Tuesday morning in his sleep at Fuchs' home in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The cause of death was old age. "This man was never sick," Fuchs said. He liked to tell the story of how he won the role of Detective Fish. An exercise enthusiast, Vigoda had just returned from a...

Legendary actor Abe Vigoda -- who starred in "The Godfather" -- died under hospice care at the age of 94 ... TMZ has learned. Abe's death had been falsely reported countless times, dating all the way back to 1982. Abe played Tessio in "The Godfather" and also "The Godfather Part II." In fact, he was still doing the voice for Tessio in 'Godfather' video games as late as 2007. His most famous role on TV was as Detective Phil Fish on the '80s sitcom "Barney Miller" ... which once worked the infamous hoax reports of Abe's death into a storyline.

Once, it was thought of as the gangster movie to end all gangster movies. Before he played Don Corleone, Marlon Brando had been all but written off after several flops. But of course that's exactly what "The Godfather," which opened in New Jersey 40 years ago this Saturday, was not. Instead, it was the gangster movie that began all gangster movies, at least as we know them now: not just its own sequels, "The Godfather: Part II" and "The Godfather: Part III," but also "Goodfellas," "Donnie Brasco," "Analyze This," "Scarface," "The Freshman," "Prizzi's Honor" and "Married to the Mob," not...