Danny Aiello, R.I.P.

I just found out that actor Danny Aiello passed away last night following a brief illness. He was 86.


Aiello's first onscreen appearance was in one of my favorite movies Bang the Drum Slowly which starred Michael Moriarity and Robert De Niro. A year later, he had a brief appearance in The Godfather, Part II as a hit man who uttered the immortal line, "Michael Corleone says hello."


But Aiello reached the height of his success in the 1980's appearing in films like Fort Apache The Bronx, Once Upon Time in America, Radio Days, Moonstruck and Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in the video for Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach".


Two years ago, I saw Aiello appear in the Time Warner Building along with the cast of the Broadway musical Home for the Holidays who did a showcase of their tunes. As it turned out, it would be his last acting credit. R.I.P.