Abe Vigoda

Abe Vigoda married Beatrice Schy in 1968 and had one daughter, Carol. The couple remained married until Beatrice’s death in 1992.

He was an avid jogger and a fitness enthusiast who remained in good health until the end of his long life. He died on 26 January 2016, at his daughter's home in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

Abraham Charles "Abe" Vigoda was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 24 February 1921 to parents Samuel and Lena, who were Jewish immigrants from Russia. His father was a tailor. Abe had two brothers.

He developed an early interest in performing on the stage and began acting while in his teens. He also worked with the American Theatre Wing.

Abe Vigoda began his career as a professional stage actor in 1947 but it would be many years before he finally tasted big success. Over the next few years he appeared in a variety of Shakespearean plays, musical comedies, and Broadway productions.

After struggling for several years, the talented actor finally started getting recognition in the 1960s for playing notable roles like Landau in Harold Pinter's ‘The Man in the Glass Booth’ in 1968 and parts in ‘Inquest’ (1970), and ‘Tough to Get Help’ (1972).

His success on the stage led to a film role in 1972 where he portrayed the elder mobster Salvatore Tessio in ‘The Godfather’. At the age of 51, he finally found the popularity and success he deserved. He soon reprised this role in the film’s sequel ‘The Godfather Part II’ in 1974.

Another memorable role followed in 1975, that of Detective Phil Fish, a police officer in the television series ‘Barney Miller’. Vigoda’s portrayal of the grumpy and aged detective who was constantly suffering from a variety of maladies won over the audiences’ hearts. He played the role until 1977.

The popularity of the character of Phil Fish led to a spin-off of ‘Barney Miller’ in 1977 titled ‘Fish’. Vigoda played the title role while Florence Stanley appeared as his wife Bernice. In the series, Fish and Bernice became foster parents to five racially mixed children. The series was wrapped after two seasons.

Abe Vigoda’s portrayal of Salvatore "Sal" Tessio in the film ‘The Godfather’ is one of his memorable roles. The film became a big critical as well as commercial success and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema.

He was also much loved for playing Detective Phil Fish in the television sitcom ‘Barney Miller’. His portrayal of the cantankerous but efficient senior detective endeared him greatly to his fans. His character became very popular, leading to the creation of a spin-off with Fish as protagonist.