Joseph Anthony Giorgio (September 27, 1923 – February 1, 2012) was an Italian-American actor and magician and known for his portrayal of Bruno Tattaglia in

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

's 1972 film ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...

''.

Career

Giorgio was a prolific stage magician and card manipulator. He ran away from home at the age of 12 to join a circus and eventually performed at venues including conventions, fraternal clubs, country clubs, casinos, and film studios. He was hired by

Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club ...

s in the 1960s to be their resident gambling expert, and he gave paid lectures on the nature of

confidence game A scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naivety, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibil ...

s and gambling scams. He was one of the first performers at

The Magic Castle The Magic Castle is a performance venue, restaurant, and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, United States. The Academy was started in 1952 by W ...

nightclub, winning Close-up Magician of the Year in the 1990s. Giorgio acted in films such as ''

'' (1972), ''

Black Gunn ''Black Gunn'' is a 1972 American neo-noir crime action thriller film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Jim Brown, Martin Landau, Brenda Sykes, Herbert Jefferson Jr. and Luciana Paluzzi. Baseball pitcher Vida Blue appears in a s ...

'' (1972), ''

Magnum Force ''Magnum Force'' is a 1973 American action-thriller film and the second to feature Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan after the 1971 film '' Dirty Harry''. Ted Post, who had previously worked with Eastwood on '' Rawhide'' and '' H ...

'' (1973), '' Foxy Brown'' (1974), ''

Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of t ...

'' (1975), ''

Escape to Witch Mountain ''Escape to Witch Mountain'' is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' in 1975 which spawned the ''Witch Mountain'' franchise. The novel was illustrated by L ...

'' (1975), ''

The Sting II ''The Sting II'' is a 1983 American comedy film and a sequel to ''The Sting'', again written by David S. Ward. It was directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan and stars Jackie Gleason, Mac Davis, Teri Garr, Karl Malden and Oliver Reed. Plot In 1940, the ...

'' (1983), ''

The Lonely Guy ''The Lonely Guy'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Steve Martin. The screenplay is credited to Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels (of '' Taxi'') as well as Neil Simon (for "adaptation"), and is based ...

'' (1984), '' Night Train to Terror'' (1985) and ''

American Me ''American Me'' is a 1992 American crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos stars as Montoya Santana, who is loosely based on Mexican Maf ...

'' (1992). He also acted in numerous television programs including ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'', ''

Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is an American multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired ...

'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'', and ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American Action television, action television series that ran on NBC from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, about a fictional team of former United States Army Special Forces who work as mercenaries while on the run from ...

''. In theatre, Giorgio originated the role of 'Big Julie' in the stage musical ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

''.

Death

On February 1, 2012, aged 88, Giorgio died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

Filmography

Film

* 1966 ''

A Big Hand for the Little Lady ''A Big Hand for the Little Lady'' (released in the UK under the misleading title ''Big Deal at Dodge City'', since the film is set in Laredo, Texas) is a 1966 American Western film made by Eden Productions Inc. and released by Warner Bros. Th ...

'' as "Steamboat" (uncredited) * 1968 '' Sol Madrid'' as Tall Man (uncredited) * 1968 '' The Wrecking Crew'' as Agent (uncredited) * 1969 ''

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...

'' as Joe, Arcade Owner (uncredited) * 1969 '' Paint Your Wagon'' as Card Player (uncredited) * 1972 ''

'' as Bruno Tattaglia * 1972 ''

'' as Ben * 1973 ''

Harry in Your Pocket ''Harry in Your Pocket'' is a 1973 comedy-drama film, about a team of professional pickpockets written by James Buchanan and Ronald Austin and directed by Bruce Geller, starring James Coburn, Michael Sarrazin, Trish Van Devere and Walter Pidgeo ...

'' as 1st Detective * 1973 ''

'' as Frank Palancio * 1974 '' Foxy Brown'' as Eddie * 1974

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...

11/12/1974 as Bandit * 1975 ''

'' as Hunter #2 * 1975 ''

'' as Antonio "Tony The Scourge" Lombardo * 1978 ''

Record City ''Record City'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Ed Begley Jr., Sorrell Booke, Michael Callan, Jack Carter, Frank Gorshin, Ruth Buzzi, Dennis Bowen, Larry Storch, and Alice Ghostley. It was made on location at Eagle Rock, California. Plo ...

'' as Mr. F * 1983 ''

'' as Rossovich, Macalinski's Man * 1984 ''

'' as Writer At Party * 1985 '' Night Train to Terror'' as Satan (segment "The Night Train") * 1987 '' Cry Wilderness'' as The Sheriff * 1992 ''

'' as Don Antonio Scagnelli * 1997 ''My Brother Jack'' as Rocco

Television

* 1967 '' Run for Your Life'' as Castro; 1 episode * 1967 ''

'' as Sanford; 1 episode * 1968 ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

'' as Otto; 1 episode * 1968 '' The Outcasts'' as Card Dealer; 1 episode * 1969-1971 '' Mission: Impossible'' as Dealer / Foyer Guard / First Man / Meerghan / Croupier; 7 episodes * 1970 ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'' as Torpedo; 1 episode *1970

Adam 12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers P ...

as Carjacker in “Child Stealer” episode * 1971 ''

The Doris Day Show ''The Doris Day Show'' is an American sitcom which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. The series is remembered for its multiple format and cast chang ...

'' as Ed, The Maître d'; 1 episode * 1971 ''

'' as Croupier; 1 episode * 1973 '' Jigsaw'' as Man; 1 episode * 1974 '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'' as Vito; 1 episode * 1974 '' Police Story'' as Cashier; 1 episode * 1974 '' The F.B.I.'' as M. Giorgio; 1 episode * 1975 ''

'' as Michael Funicello; 1 episode * 1975 ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'' as Lorenzo; 1 episode * 1975 ''

Bronk Bronk or Bronck may refer to: * Jonas Bronck (1600–1643), Swedish immigrant who gave his name to The Bronx ** Pieter Bronck, son or brother of Jonas Bronck ** Bronck House, historic landmark home of Pieter Bronck * Deborah Bronk, American oceano ...

'' as Killer; 1 episode * 1975 ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'' as Abe Collins; 1 episode * 1975 ''

'' as Bill Wilson; 1 episode * 1975 ''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

'' as Bruno; 1 episode * 1976 ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'' as Aaron Creighton; 1 episode * 1978 ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts for ABC. It originally aired from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was produ ...

'' as Carl; 1 episode * 1978 ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...

'' as Harry Parkman; 1 episode * 1980 ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'' as Croupier; 1 episode * 1981 ''

B. J. and the Bear ''B. J. and the Bear'' is an American action comedy television series which aired on NBC from February 10, 1979, to May 9, 1981. Created by Glen A. Larson and Christopher Crowe, the series starred Greg Evigan. The series was produced when t ...

'' as The Magician; 1 episode * 1981 ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset ...

'' as Cheshire; 1 episode * 1982 ''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who ope ...

'' as Sam Boyle; 1 episode * 1984 ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera created by Earl Hamner Jr. that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Cha ...

'' as Croupier; 1 episode * 1984 ''

'' as Mr. Carlin; 1 episode * 1985 ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

'' as John Vincent; 1 episode * 1985 ''

Moonlighting Moonlighting may refer to: * Side job, a job taken in addition to one's primary employment Entertainment * ''Moonlighting'' (film), a 1982 drama film by Jerzy Skolimowski * ''Moonlighting'' (TV series), 1985–1989 American television series, s ...

'' as Tony; 1 episode * 1986 ''

Brothers A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingl ...

'' as Mr. Santini; 1 episode * 2004 ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...

'' as Client #1; 1 episode (final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Giorgio, Tony American people of Italian descent American male film actors American male television actors 1923 births 2012 deaths People from Herkimer, New York