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    Alex Rocco, who played Moe Greene in “The Godfather,” dies at 79

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments637 Views
    In this Sept. 16, 1990 file photo, actor Alex Rocco holds up his Emmy award for best supporting actor in a television comedy series for his role in "The Famous Teddy Z," during his acceptance speech at the 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Alex Rocco, the Emmy-winning character actor best known for taking a bullet through the eye as the Las Vegas casino boss Moe Greene in "The Godfather," has died. He was 79.

    Rocco's daughter, Jennifer, announced his death Saturday. Details were not immediately available.

    Rocco's career spanned five decades, and he remained active up until his death, including a recurring role on the Starz series "Magic City." His distinctively gravelly voice made him a frequent tough-guy presence in both hardboiled tales ("The Friends of Eddie Coyle," ''St. Valentine's Day Massacre," ''Get Shorty") and comedic sitcoms ("The Simpsons," ''The Facts of Life").

    His most famous role came in 1972's "The Godfather," where he played the humbled casino owner who meets his fate on a massage table, with a bullet through his thick eyeglass lenses. His confrontation with Al Pacino's Michael Corleone — in which he condescended to the new boss: "I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!" — was among the movie's many indelible scenes.

    "Without a doubt, my biggest ticket anywhere," Rocco told the AV Club in 2012. "I went for. I dunno, one of the Italian parts. Maybe the Richard Bright part. But Coppola goes, 'I got my Jew!' And I went, 'Oh no, Mr. Coppola, I'm Italian. I wouldn't know how to play a Jew.' And he goes, 'Oh, shut up.'"

    The Boston-born Rocco also memorably voiced the cigar-smoking studio head of "Itchy and Scratchy" on "The Simpsons." And he played Charlie Polniaczek on the 1980s sitcom "The Facts of Life."

    He won an Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy series in 1990 for the short-lived Jon Cryer sitcom "The Famous Teddy Z."

    Born on Feb. 29, 1936, as Alessandro Federico Petricone Jr. in Cambridge, Mass., Rocco studied acting under Leonard Nimoy on his arrival to Los Angeles. His first role was in a Russ Meyer film, 1965's "Motor Psycho."

    Nimoy helped rid Rocco of his thick Boston accent, and the actor would forever after find consistent work — from Pixar's "A Bug's Life" to "Family Guy" — for his singular voice.

    Rocco is survived by his wife, actress Shannon Wilcox, his daughter Jennifer, son Lucien and a grandson.

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    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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