Joe Spinnell

Joe Spinell
Spinell on the set of The Godfather (1972).
Born	Joseph J. Spagnuolo (1936-10-28)October 28, 1936 Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Died	January 13, 1989(1989-01-13) (aged 52) Queens, New York City, New York, United States
Resting place	Calvary Cemetery, Queens
Residence	Queens, New York City, New York
Other names	Joe "Maniac" Spinell Joseph Spinell Joe Spinnel Joe Spinnell
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter
Years active	1972–1989
Home town	Queens, New York City, New York
Spouse(s)	Jean Jennings (February 1977–July 1979)
Children	1
Relatives	Steve Spagnuolo (cousin)

Joe Spinell (born Joseph J. Spagnuolo; October 28, 1936 – January 13, 1989) was an American character actor, who appeared in numerous films in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as various stage productions on and off Broadway. His notable roles included performances in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), Rocky (1976) and Rocky II (1979), Taxi Driver (1976), William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) and Cruising (1980), and the psychological slasher film Maniac (1980), which he also wrote.

Spinell was born Joseph J. Spagnuolo (Italian pronunciation: [spaˈɲɲwɔlo]) in Manhattan, New York, of Italian immigrant parents, and the last of six children. His father, Pelegrino Spagnuolo (1892–1950), died from liver and kidney disease. His mother, Filomena Spagnuolo (1903–1987), was a bit-part actress who acted in a few movies, some of them alongside her son. Spinell stood 5 foot and 11 inches. He was born at his family's apartment on Second Avenue in Manhattan's Kip's Bay, an area then home to 10,000 Italian Americans. A few years after the death of his father, he moved with his mother and older siblings to Woodside, Queens, New York where he lived off-and-on for the remainder of his life. He was known to abuse drugs and alcohol heavily on and off throughout his career, especially during periods of unemployment. Spinell also suffered most of his life from hemophilia as well as chronic asthma.