Abe Vigoda AKA Barney Miller Dead At 94

Abraham Charles “Abe” Vigoda (/vᵻˈɡoʊdə/; February 24, 1921 – January 26, 2016) was an American film and television actor. He was known for a number of roles, especially his portrayals of Salvatore Tessio in the Francis Ford Coppola film The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the television sitcom series Barney Miller from 1975 to 1977 and its spinoff show Fish in 1978, both on ABC.

After mistaken reports of his death in 1982 and 1987, Vigoda was the subject of several running gags as to whether he was dead or alive. He died on January 26, 2016, at his daughter’s home in Woodland Park, New Jersey.