Joe Lisi (born September 9, 1950), also credited as Joe Lissi, is an American television actor. He appeared in the NBC television show ''

Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced by ...

'' as

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

Lieutenant Swersky from 2000 to 2005. He also appeared on the NBC television show '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' as Craig Lennon, a parole officer and briefly appeared in the 1995

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

film '' The Jerky Boys: The Movie'' as a construction worker.

Life and career

Lisi was born and raised in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. His father was Sicilian (from

Giarre Giarre ( scn, Giarri) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. The town is located about southeast of Palermo and around north of Catania. Geography Giarre is bounded by the municipalities of Acireale, Mascali ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

) and his mother was of Irish descent. He spent 24 years in the

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

(NYPD), retiring with the rank of captain. While already employed by the police department (1969), Joe Lisi enlisted in the

United States Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned pe ...

. He was

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...

as a corporal. Lisi took his first acting lesson at age 29 and made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut (''Take Me Out'', 2003 Tony Winner, Best Play) at age 52. He studied theatre at

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency progra ...

in New York City. He is best known for his television roles as Dick Barone in ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

'' and as Lt. Swersky on ''

''.

Selected filmography

* '' Out of the Darkness'' (1985) as Patrolman * '' Forever Lulu'' (1987) as Cop * ''

Family Business A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by blood or marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business and the willingn ...

'' (1989) as Desk Sergeant * '' True Blue'' (1989-1990) as Captain Motta * '' Come See the Paradise'' (1990) as Detective * ''

Criminal Justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the Rehabilitation (penology), rehabilitation of o ...

'' (1990) as Detective Lane * ''

Traces of Red ''Traces of Red'' is a 1992 neo noir erotic thriller film, directed by Andy Wolk and starring James Belushi, Lorraine Bracco and Tony Goldwyn. The film was released theatrically by The Samuel Goldwyn Company on November 13, 1992. After th ...

'' (1992) as Lieutenant J.C. Hooks * ''

Who's the Man? ''Who's the Man?'' is a 1993 thriller buddy comedy film directed by Ted Demme in his feature film directing debut. The film stars ''Yo! MTV Raps'' hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists and features cameo appearances from s ...

'' (1993) as Captain Reilly * ''

Quiz Show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sh ...

'' (1994) as Reporter * ''

Safe Passage Safe conduct, safe passage, or letters of transit, is the situation in time of international conflict or war where one state, a party to such conflict, issues to a person (usually an enemy state's subject) a pass or document to allow the enemy ...

'' (1994) as Dog Owner * '' The Jerky Boys: The Movie'' (1995) as Construction Foreman * '' Kiss of Death'' (1995) as Agent At Bungalow * ''

Trees Lounge ''Trees Lounge'' is a 1996 American dramedy film and the debut of Steve Buscemi as writer and director. It was produced by Brad Wyman and Chris Hanley and features a large ensemble cast of actors, including Buscemi, Anthony LaPaglia, Chloë Sevi ...

'' (1996) as Harry * '' Marvin's Room'' (1996) as Bruno * '' His and Hers'' (1997) as Captain Barillo * ''

Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...

'' (1998) as Police Detective * ''

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American Police procedural, police drama that aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and ...

'' (1998) as Chief of Detectives * ''

The Adventures of Sebastian Cole ''The Adventures of Sebastian Cole'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Tod Williams and starring Adrian Grenier as the title character. Plot In June 1983 in Dutchess County, New York, Sebastian Cole's stepmother, who ...

'' (1998) as Concrete Guy * ''

Summer of Sam ''Summer of Sam'' is a 1999 American crime thriller film about the 1977 David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) serial murders and their effect on a group of fictional residents of an Italian-American neighborhood in The Bronx in the late 1970s. The kille ...

'' (1999) as Tony 'Olives' * '' For Love of the Game'' (1999) as Pete * ''

'' (1999-2000) as Dick Barone * ''

'' (1999-2005) as NYPD Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Swersky * ''

The Yards ''The Yards'' is a 2000 American crime film directed by James Gray, written by Gray and Matt Reeves, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron and James Caan. Set in the commuter rail yards in New York City ("the yards"), spe ...

'' (2000) as Elliott Gorwitz * '' 15 Minutes'' (2001) as Police Captain * ''

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...

'' (2002) as Charlie, The Wiseguy * '' ER'' (2002) as NYPD Lieutenant Bob Swersky * ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

'' (2004) - Mr. Anthony Scalia * '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2005-2009) as Parole Officer Craig Lennon * ''

Synecdoche, New York ''Synecdoche, New York'' (pronounced ) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ailing theater director who works on an incr ...

'' (2008) as Maurice * ''

The Sorcerer's Apprentice "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (german: "Der Zauberlehrling", link=no, italic=no) is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in 14 stanzas. Story The poem begins as an old magician (fantasy), sorcerer departs his ...

'' (2010) as Police Captain * ''

Man on a Ledge ''Man on a Ledge'' is a 2012 American action thriller film directed by Asger Leth, starring Sam Worthington, Jamie Bell, Elizabeth Banks, Edward Burns, Anthony Mackie, Genesis Rodriguez, and Ed Harris. Filming took place in New York City on top ...

'' (2012) as Desk Sergeant

References

External links

* 1950 births Living people American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent United States Marines United States Marine Corps reservists {{US-tv-actor-1950s-stub