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"Some people go to acting classes to learn. I just kind of went for the dates." Alex Rocco was one of the most well-known character actors of his generation. With 168 credits to his name, and more projects not even on the list, Rocco was as prolific as he was talented. While Rocco found most of his fame thanks to his work on The Godfather, Rocco was actually a well-rounded performer with roles in every genre under his belt. Despite passing away in 2015 at the age of 79, Rocco has left behind a beautiful legacy for his fans to look over.

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While we know Alex Rocco for his work on The Godfather, Rocco was a far more interesting figure than one single film could ever sum up. In order to really get a feel for Rocco and the swerving journey that he took into Hollywood history, we need to go back to where it all started.

Early Life in Boston

Alessandro Federico Petricone Jr, a.k. Alex Rocco, was born on February 29, 1936, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rocco was the son of an Italian immigrant named Sam Petricone. Sam would move to the United States after having been born and raised in Gaeta, Italy. His mother was Mary DiBiase, though not much is known about her early life.  Rocco would spend many of his early years in the nearby town of Somerville.

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According to reports by Vincent Teresa, a notorious mobster who turned his back on the Sicilian Mafia, Rocco had been involved with the Winter Hill Gang located in Boston. According to Teresa, someone had made an advance on Petricone's then-girlfriend on Labor Day back in 1961. This event would end up causing the Boston Irish Gang War that lasted throughout the 60s. While Petricone ended up getting arrested during the mayhem, he would be released without any charges. Following the event, Rocco would make his move to Los Angeles.

After making his move to Los Angeles, Rocco began to work as a bartender while living in Santa Monica. While trying to make a living, Rocco would start taking lessons from another Boston native, Leonard Nimoy. Yes, that Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy didn't like Rocco's accent and implored the young man to start taking speech lessons. Rocco would take Nimoy's instructions to heart and he would work day-and-night to get rid of his thick Boston accent. Eventually, Rocco would return to Nimoy sans-accent in order to continue his studies. Rocco would also spend time learning under Jeff Corey.

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Making Headway in Hollywood

With his tall and slightly intimidating demeanor, Rocco wouldn't have any trouble making his way into the world of film. Rocco made his debut in 1965 just a few years after moving to Los Angeles. The film was Motorpyscho! and Rocco would portray a character named Cory Maddox. From there, the horses were off to the races and suddenly Rocco was in everything. Following Motorpyscho!, Rocco would land a two-episode arc on Batman (1967) as well as a starring role in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967).

While Rocco was raking in character roles, he wasn't really getting any kind of notoriety. This would all change in 1972 when Rocco was brought in to portray Moe Green in The Godfather. Obviously, we all know that The Godfather is one of the enduring cinematic classics of our time. In the film, Rocco portrayed a casino owner who also represented the top Jewish mobster in all of Las Vegas. The film was a smash hit and Rocco would start to get better roles for his efforts.

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After The Godfather, Rocco would stay busy with a number of different projects. Some of his notable early career work includes Three for the Road (1975) which aired on CBS. The show was a 12-week series that explored the life and times of Pete and John Karras. Rocco received high praise for his work on the television, and he would appear in another twenty or thirty projects before putting an exclamation point on his career in 1989 on The Facts of Life. In The Facts of Life, Rocco played Charlie Polniaczek, Jo's father. He would parlay that successful work into a regular on the hit comedy, The Famous Teddy Z. Rocco would earn an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Throughout Rocco's life, he would appear in nearly 170 total films. Along the way, he appeared as a character actor in pretty much everything that Hollywood put out. Some of his more notable roles include The Simpsons (1990), A Bug's Life (1998), The Wedding Planner (2001), and Smokin' Aces (2006). Rocco most recently appeared as a regular in the television series Magic City (2012) and the film Don't Sleep (2017) before passing away. The latter film, Don't Sleep, was released posthumously.

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In his personal life, Rocco was a complex and interesting person. Despite his potential affiliation with a gang, he would seemingly flip over a new leaf after moving to Los Angeles. Rocco would join the Baha'i Faith, and he would appear in numerous productions in support of the religion. Rocco would even thank the Baha'u'llah during his Emmy acceptance speech.  

Before passing away due to pancreatic cancer, Rocco would have four children. He most recently married Shannon Wilcox in 2005, and they were still together when he passed away.