Val Bisoglio obit

Val Bisoglio Dies: Character Actor Who Played Father In ‘Saturday Night Fever’, Appeared On ‘Quincy, M.E.’ & ‘Sopranos’ Was 95

 

He was not on the list.

Val Bisoglio, a character actor who played John Travolta’s father in Saturday Night Fever, appeared opposite Jack Klugman on all eight seasons of Quincy, M.E. and had an arc on The Sopranos has died. He was 95.

His wife Bonnie Bisoglio said the actor died October 18 of Lewy body dementia at his home near San Olivos, CA.

Born on May 7, 1926, in Manhattan, Bisoglio began his screen career with guest roles on series including Bonanza and Mayberry R.F.D. By the early 1970s, he appeared on such popular TV fare as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, The Partridge Family, Mannix and Love, American Style. He landed his first series-regular role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Roll Out in 1973.

He scored a second series-regular gig on a CBS sitcom, Working Stiffs, playing the owner of a Chicago office building where his sons — played by Michael Keaton and Jim Belushi — worked as janitors. It lasted a half-season in 1979.

Meanwhile, the actor continued to pile up guest credits on top ’70s TV shows including Kojak, Baretta, Ironside, Barney Miller, Police Woman, McCloud, The Rockford Files and Starsky and Hutch and into the ’80s on M*A*S*H, B.J. and the Bear and The Fall Guy.

Bisoglio had appeared in a handful of movies by 1977, when he was cast as the disapproving father of Travolta’s Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, the low-budget film that helped propel disco in the mainstream. His Frank Manero character famously whacked his son on the head multiple times, mussing the boy’s well-tended hair, during a memorable dinner scene.

That led to a role as Chief Gray Cloud opposite Gene Wilder in the 1979 comedy Western The Frisco Kid.

Along with Saturday Night Fever, Bisoglio might be best remembered for his role as restaurant owner Danny Tovo on Quincy, M.E., the 1976 NBC drama that starred Klugman as a medical examiner in Los Angeles. The title character lived on a boat in Marina del Rey and would frequent Danny’s, the eatery run by Bisoglio’s character.

The show premiered in a 90-miniute format as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie and became a weekly series in early 1977. It wasn’t a breakout hit ratings-wise and would bounce around the network’s schedule but proved popular enough to run for eight season, wrapping in 1983.

After Quincy, Bisoglio guested on Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice and Life Goes On before landing a three-episode arc on one of TV’s greatest dramas. He was cast in 2002 on HBO’s The Sopranos as Murphy “Murf” Lupo, an elderly former capo of Junior Soprano who is brought in to replace the departed Philly Parisi. The stint didn’t go well for Murf, and he was replaced by Bobby Bacala. It would be Bisoglio’s final screen credit.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons Joseph Bisoglio and Scott Chapman. No memorial or funeral service plans were announced.

Actor (65 credits)

 2002 The Sopranos (TV Series)

Murf

- Pie-o-My (2002) ... Murf

- Christopher (2002) ... Murf

- For All Debts Public and Private (2002) ... Murf

 2000 Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family (TV Series)

Joe Collado

- F.B.I.V. (2000) ... Joe Collado

 1999 Diamonds

Tarzan (as Val Bisiglio)

 1992 Life Goes on (TV Series)

Judge

- Windows (1992) ... Judge

 1986 Miami Vice (TV Series)

Gus Albierro

- Forgive Us Our Debts (1986) ... Gus Albierro

 1986 Joe Bash (TV Series)

Sgt. Carmine Di Calvo

- Pilot (1986) ... Sgt. Carmine Di Calvo

 1985 Hill Street Blues (TV Series)

Landlord

- The Virgin and the Turkey (1985) ... Landlord

 1985 Half Nelson (TV Movie)

 1984 Cover Up (TV Series)

Mario Donati

- A Subtle Seduction (1984) ... Mario Donati

 1976-1983 Quincy M.E. (TV Series)

Danny Tovo

- The Cutting Edge (1983) ... Danny Tovo (credit only)

- Whatever Happened to Morris Perlmutter? (1983) ... Danny Tovo (credit only)

- An Act of Violence (1983) ... Danny Tovo

- Suffer the Little Children (1983) ... Danny Tovo

- Women of Valor (1983) ... Danny Tovo

1983 Johnny Garage (TV Movie)

Frankie

 1982 The Fall Guy (TV Series)

Eddie

- Ladies on the Ropes (1982) ... Eddie

 1981-1982 M*A*S*H (TV Series)

Sgt. Sal Pernelli / Sgt. Pernelli / The Cook

- A Holy Mess (1982) ... Sgt. Sal Pernelli

- 'Twas the Day After Christmas (1981) ... Sgt. Pernelli

- The Life You Save (1981) ... The Cook

 1980 Galactica 1980 (TV Series)

Arnie

- The Night the Cylons Landed: Part 2 (1980) ... Arnie

 1979-1980 B.J. and the Bear (TV Series)

Captain Eddie Villetti / Cannon

- The Friendly Double Cross (1980) ... Captain Eddie Villetti

- Wheels of Fortune (1979) ... Cannon

 1979 Working Stiffs (TV Series)

Al Steckler

- Trading Up (1979) ... Al Steckler

- Sagebrush Estates (1979) ... Al Steckler

- Pal Joey (1979) ... Al Steckler

- The Old Man in the Building (1979) ... Al Steckler

- The Bosses (1979) ... Al Steckler

1979 240-Robert (TV Series)

Carmine

- Poison Air (1979) ... Carmine

 1979 The Frisco Kid

Chief Gray Cloud

 1978 Flying High (TV Series)

Papa Bagranditello

- Flying High (1978) ... Papa Bagranditello

 1977 Saturday Night Fever

Frank Sr.

 1977 Starsky and Hutch (TV Series)

James Balford

- Survival (1977) ... James Balford

 1974-1977 The Rockford Files (TV Series)

Marvin A. Potemkin / Carl Bovino

- Sticks and Stones May Break Your Bones, But Waterbury Will Bury You (1977) ... Marvin A. Potemkin

- Profit and Loss, Part 1: Profit (1974) ... Carl Bovino

 1975-1976 Switch (TV Series)

Shiggy / Curry

- The 100,000 Ruble Rumble (1976) ... Shiggy

- Las Vegas Roundabout (1975) ... Curry

 1976 Phyllis (TV Series)

Tony Lacosta

- Boss or Buddy or Both or Neither (1976) ... Tony Lacosta

 1976 St. Ives

Finley Cummins

 1976 McCloud (TV Series)

Chaney

- The Day New York Turned Blue (1976) ... Chaney

 1975 The Hindenburg

Lieutenant Lombardi

 1974-1975 Barney Miller (TV Series)

Det. Del Vecchio / Sgt. Grimaldi

- You Dirty Rat (1975) ... Det. Del Vecchio

- The Life and Times of Barney Miller (1974) ... Sgt. Grimaldi

 1975 McMillan & Wife (TV Series)

Ernie Booker

- Aftershock (1975) ... Ernie Booker

 1975 Matt Helm (TV Series)

Sgt. James

- Matt Helm (1975) ... Sgt. James

 1975 Get Christie Love! (TV Series)

Joe Thurston

- A Few Excess People (1975) ... Joe Thurston

 1975 Linda Lovelace for President

Rev. Billy Easter

 1974-1975 Police Woman (TV Series)

Lt. Marsh

- Ice (1975) ... Lt. Marsh

- Warning: All Wives (1974) ... Lt. Marsh

- The Beautiful Die Young (1974) ... Lt. Marsh

 1975 Baretta (TV Series)

Pete Skalare

- If You Can't Pay the Price... (1975) ... Pete Skalare

 1972-1974 Ironside (TV Series)

Oscar Kearns / Waffles / Charley

- Fall of an Angel (1974) ... Oscar Kearns

- Downhill All the Way (1973) ... Waffles

- Who'll Cry for My Baby (1972) ... Charley

 1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV Series)

Victor Friese

- The Zombie (1974) ... Victor Friese

 1974 Kojak (TV Series)

Barney Bramley

- The Chinatown Murders: Part 2 (1974) ... Barney Bramley

- The Chinatown Murders: Part 1 (1974) ... Barney Bramley

 1974 Toma (TV Series)

Johnny Lippy

- Pound of Flesh (1974) ... Johnny Lippy

 1973-1974 Roll Out (TV Series)

Capt. Rocco Calvelli

- Didn't He Ramble (1974) ... Capt. Rocco Calvelli

- Honor Truck (1973) ... Capt. Rocco Calvelli

- Christmas of '44 (1973) ... Capt. Rocco Calvelli

- No Wages: All Fear (1973) ... Capt. Rocco Calvelli

- The Paper Caper (1973) ... Capt. Rocco Calvelli

1973 If I Had a Million (TV Movie) (as Val Biscoglio)

 1973 Serpico

Weapons Storage Officer (uncredited)

 1973 The Don Is Dead

Pete Lazatti

 1973 The Marcus-Nelson Murders (TV Movie)

Det. Jacarrino

 1972 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (TV Series)

Morey Wheaton

- The Velvet Prison (1972) ... Morey Wheaton

 1972 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (TV Series)

Dr. Pelleterri

- Love Child (1972) ... Dr. Pelleterri

 1972 The Sixth Sense (TV Series)

Police Officer

- Through a Flame Darkly (1972) ... Police Officer

 1972 All in the Family (TV Series)

Gangster / Ralph Silvestri

- Archie and the Editorial (1972) ... Gangster

- Archie Sees a Mugging (1972) ... Ralph Silvestri

 1971 The Partridge Family (TV Series)

Rufus D. Palmer

- Where Do Mermaids Go? (1971) ... Rufus D. Palmer

 1971 Longstreet (TV Series)

Garvey

- The Girl with the Broom (1971) ... Garvey

 1971 Mannix (TV Series)

Charlie Larrabee

- Run Till Dark (1971) ... Charlie Larrabee

 1971 The Mary Tyler Moore Show (TV Series)

Mr. DeForrest

- Room 223 (1971) ... Mr. DeForrest

 1971 Love, American Style (TV Series)

Frank (segment "Love and the Conjugal Visit")

- Love and the Anniversary Crisis/Love and the Conjugal Visit/Love and the Dream Burglar/Love and the Hotel Caper/Love and the Monsters (1971) ... Frank (segment "Love and the Conjugal Visit") (as Vic Bisoglio)

 1971 Inside O.U.T. (TV Movie)

Bendix

 1970 Sticky My Fingers... Fleet My Feet (Short)

Football player

 1969 The Doctors (TV Series)

Mr. Grant / Louis Grant

- Episode #1.1832 (1969) ... Louis Grant (credit only)

- Episode #1.1829 (1969) ... Louis Grant

- Episode #1.1827 (1969) ... Louis Grant (credit only)

- Episode #1.1824 (1969) ... Louis Grant

- Episode #1.1814 (1969) ... Mr. Grant (uncredited)

1968 The Brotherhood

Cheech

 1968 Mayberry R.F.D. (TV Series)

Aces

- Help on the Farm (1968) ... Aces

 1968 Bonanza (TV Series)

Cliff Harper

- The Real People of Muddy Creek (1968) ... Cliff Harper

 1968 No Way to Treat a Lady

Detective Monaghan

 1966 Hawk (TV Series)

Cozy Neff

- "H" Is a Dirty Letter (1966) ... Cozy Neff

 1966 Hot Rod Hullabaloo

 1965 The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series)

- Where There's Smoke (1965)

 1963 The Cool World

Gangster (as Val Besoglio)

 1963 The DuPont Show of the Week (TV Series)

Vernon

- Diamond Fever (1963) ... Vernon

 1956 The Edge of Night (TV Series)

Kitty's agent (1964)