December 30th 2023.
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of the beloved actor, Richard Romanus. He died on December 23rd, at the age of 78, in a private hospital in Greece.
Romanus was known for playing tough-guy roles, most notably Michael Longo in Martin Scorsese's classic Mean Streets. He gained further acclaim for his voice-acting roles in Wizards (1977) and Heavy Metal (1982).
Romanus was also seen in four episodes of The Sopranos, playing the role of Richard LaPenna, the on-off husband of Lorraine Bracco's Jennifer Melfi. He appeared in the show between 1999 and 2002.
Romanus was born on February 8, 1943 in Vermont, and raised in Connecticut. After graduating with a philosophy degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1964, he briefly pursued a career in law before turning to acting. He trained at the Lee Strasberg Institute before landing roles on Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, and Night Chase.
In Mean Streets, Romanus famously got into a spat with Robert De Niro's character, Johnny Civello. Scorsese remembered the animosity between the two actors in the scene as being real. Romanus also had notable roles in Strike Force, Foul Play, Sitting Ducks, Protocol, Cops and Robbersons, Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, MacGyver, and NYPD Blue.
We extend our sincerest sympathies to his family and friends in this time of sorrow, and send our best wishes.
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