Abe Vigoda of The Godfather dies at 94

(Image credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

published 26 January 2016

Character actor Abe Vigoda, best known for his roles as Sal Tessio in The Godfather and Detective Phil Fish on the sitcom Barney Miller, died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday morning at the age of 94, roughly 34 years after People magazine famously and erroneously reported his death.

Vigoda was born in New York City in 1921 and worked in theater for 30 years before finding fame. "When I was a young man, I was told success had to come in my youth," he said at his 80th birthday party. "I found this to be a myth. My experiences have taught me that if you deeply believe in what you are doing, success can come at any age."