Emmy-winning actor Alex Rocco best known for his role as the casino owner Moe Greene in "The Godfather," which starred Al Pacino, has died on July 18, Saturday. He was 79.
The news of the actor's death was shared by his daughter Jennifer on Facebook. He was suffering from cancer, NBC News reported. No other details were immediately available.
Born and brought up in Massachusetts, the late actor of Italian descent started taking acting lessons under Leonard Nimoy of "Star Trek" fame at the age of 26, CNN reported. In 1965, he debuted in the acting world through "Motorpsycho!"
However, Rocco's big break came when he was cast in the multi-starrer 1972 hit "The Godfather," following which he was seen in multiple movies including "The Wedding Planner," "A Bug's Life" and "That Thing You Do." In 1975, the late actor ventured into the TV world with 12-week CBS drama series "Three For The Road" playing the role of a widowed father.
In the following years, apart from appearing in multiple movies, Rocco was also seen in several episodes of 1980s TV show "The Facts of Life" and had recurring roles on "Starsky and Hutch" and "The Famous Teddy Z," for which he won a supporting actor Emmy award in 1990. Other memorable roles of the late actor include parts in "The Simpsons," "Magic City," "The George Carlin Show," "The Division," and "Sibs."
Rocco's last acting venture was a role in Maron season 3 episode 1, which aired on March 14. The late actor is survived by his wife, actress Shannon Wilcox; daughters Jennifer and Kelli, sons Lucien and Sean and four grandchildren.