The Godfather Actor Alex Rocco Dies at 79

Emmy-winning character actor Alex Rocco, best known for his role as mobster Moe Greene in The Godfather, died Saturday at age 79.

No other information regarding his death, announced by his daughter Jennifer on Facebook, was immediately available.

Rocco came to Los Angeles from Massachusetts in the early 1960s and trained under Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame. He had his film debut in Russ Meyer’s Motorpsycho! and would eventually rack up more than 160 acting credits in his name.

He won an Emmy Award in 1990 for his role as a Hollywood agent in Jon Cryer comedy The Famous Teddy Z. Other memorable roles include parts in The Simpsons, Magic City, Detroit 9000 and A Bug’s Life.

Of all the works in his long career, Rocco credits his part in The Godfather with making his name. In Rocco’s telling, the role of Moe Greene, a mobster who owns a Vegas casino, was his “biggest ticket anywhere.”

“Every time I ever hear the theme from The Godfather, I always say, ‘Thank you, God,’” he said in a 2012 interview with the A.V. Club.

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