Frank Adonis of Goodfellas Passes Away at 83
Veteran character actor Frank Adonis, best known for his roles in "Goodfellas" and "Raging Bull", has died. He was 83.
Los Angeles, December 28: Veteran character actor Frank Adonis, best known for his roles in "Goodfellas" and "Raging Bull", has died. He was 83. His wife Denise Adonis confirmed the news to TMZ and Fox.
"He fought a good fight. It was rough. He was in too much pain and he wanted to go – he told us he wanted to go. We're devastated. It's going to be hard, but we'll get through it," Denise told Fox.
Born Frank Testaverde Scioscia in Brooklyn on October 27, 1935, Adonis has starred in films like "Goodfellas" (1990) and "Raging Bull" (1980) to "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" (1994) and "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" (1999)
By the end of his life, Adonis had amassed 40 film credits with a penchant for playing gangsters, including appearances in films like "Find Me Guilty", "Mafioso: The Father, The Son", "Mob Queen" and on episodes of "Law & Order", "The Equalizer" and "The Sopranos". He also appeared in hit films like "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "True Romance" and "Wall Street".
Adonis also tried his hands in writing and directing, scoring a directing credit for 1998's "One Deadly Road" and a writing credit for "The Woods Have Eyes" in 2007. He is survived by his wife Denise and three children.