Abe Vigoda, a prolific actor known to many as Sal Tessio in The Godfather franchise, has passed away at the age of 94. Carol Vigoda Fuchs, Vigoda's daughter, confirmed the news to ABC News and revealed "old age" as the cause of death. "This man was never sick," Fuchs told the Associated Press, adding that her father passed at her home in New Jersey.
Vigoda was a frequent victim of death hoaxes, with the earliest false report dating all the way back to a People article from 1982. During an appearance on David Letterman's Late Night, Vigoda directly mocked such rumors in a popular and often referenced skit.
In addition to his work in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Vigoda's career spanned decades of classic appearances in both TV and film including Barney Miller, Hawaii Five-O, Dark Shadows, Look Who's Talking, Underworld, Good Burger, and many more.
Rest in power, Abe.
