Steve Restivo obit

Steve Restivo, Actor and Co-Owner of Studio City Restaurant Vitello’s, Dies at 81

 

He was not on the list.

Steve Restivo, an actor and former co-owner of Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City, Calif., died on Nov. 5 at West Hills Hospital after a year-long battle with lung cancer and complications from COVID-19, his son Roy confirmed. He was 81.

Restivo was an actor for over 50 years. He was known for frequent roles as one of Garry Marshall’s acting troupe alongside Hector Elizondo and Larry Miller, appearing in films including “Nothing in Common” (1986), “Beaches” (1988), “Pretty Woman” (1990), “Frankie and Johnny” (1991), “Exit to Eden” (1994), “The Other Sister” (1999), “The Princess Diaries” (2001), “Raising Helen” (2004) and “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” (2004). He also guest-starred in television shows such as “Quincy M.E.,” “Cover Up,” “Remington Steele,” “Nowhere Man” and “The New Adam-12.”

He and his brother Joe Restivo had owned Vitello’s for nearly 30 years before the murder of Bonny Lee Bakley, the wife of Emmy-winning actor Robert Blake, outside the restaurant in 2001. Blake was charged with Bakley’s murder in 2002 but ultimately a jury found him not guilt of the crimes, including conspiracy and special circumstances of lying in wait, in 2005, leaving Bakley’s killing officially unsolved.

The murder gave the restaurant a certain notoriety, and it saw a large increase in customers and fame with tour-bus companies adding the location as a stop as well as several mentions on television. Restivo was interviewed about the scandalous murder case on TV programs such as “Dateline” and “Marcia Clark Investigates The First 48.”

The Restivos sold Vitello’s in 2005 and his brother, co-owner Joe Restivo, died in 2006.

In addition to his son Roy, Restivo is survived by his wife Sara, his sons Vince and Steve Jr., his brother Salvatore and his sister Lucy Ricciardone. Memorial services will be held Dec. 10 at 12:30 p.m. at Church of the Hills at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.

Actor

Sammy-Gate (2020)

Sammy-Gate

5.9

Sam Giancana

2020

 

Julie Andrews, Hector Elizondo, and Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

5.9

Count Vitello

2004

 

Raising Helen (2004)

Raising Helen

6.0

Motel Manager

2004

 

Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries (2001)

The Princess Diaries

6.4

Count Vitello

2001

 

Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi in The Other Sister (1999)

The Other Sister

6.5

Bakery Boss Vitello

1999

 

Erik Palladino in The Week That Girl Died (1998)

The Week That Girl Died

7.8

Funeral Director

1998

 

Bruce Greenwood in Nowhere Man (1995)

Nowhere Man

8.3

TV Series

Gino

1995

2 episodes

 

Kelly LeBrock, Kimberly Kelley, Matt McCoy, and Rochelle Swanson in Hard Bounty (1995)

Hard Bounty

3.9

Card player

1995

 

Inner Sanctum II (1994)

Inner Sanctum II

3.6

Groundskeeper

1994

 

Dan Aykroyd, Dana Delany, and Rosie O'Donnell in Exit to Eden (1994)

Exit to Eden

4.3

Immigration Clerk

1994

 

Trenton Knight in The Skateboard Kid 2 (1994)

The Skateboard Kid 2

3.8

Bob the Waiter

1994

 

The Trials of Rosie O'Neill (1990)

The Trials of Rosie O'Neill

7.5

TV Series

Bartender

1991

1 episode

 

Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in Frankie and Johnny (1991)

Frankie and Johnny

6.8

Night Cook

1991

 

The New Adam-12 (1990)

The New Adam-12

6.1

TV Series

(as Steve J. Restivo)

1990

1 episode

 

Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (1990)

Pretty Woman

7.1

Italian Businessman

1990

 

Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey in Beaches (1988)

Beaches

7.0

Pink Palm Bartender

1988

 

Tom Hanks, Sela Ward, Bess Armstrong, Hector Elizondo, Jackie Gleason, and Eva Marie Saint in Nothing in Common (1986)

Nothing in Common

5.9

Head Waiter

1986

 

Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist in Remington Steele (1982)

Remington Steele

7.3

TV Series

Italian Waiter

1985

1 episode

 

Jon-Erik Hexum and Jennifer O'Neill in Cover Up (1984)

Cover Up

7.7

TV Series

Customs Official #1

1984

1 episode

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

Motel Manager (as Steve J. Restivo)

1981

1 episode

 

Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, and Bobby Darin in Captain Newman, M.D. (1963)

Captain Newman, M.D.

6.9

Italian Prisoner

1963

 

Producer

Tom Lister Jr. and Marc Singer in Street Corner Justice (1996)

Street Corner Justice

4.8

executive producer

1996

 

Thanks

Of Silence (2014)

Of Silence

2.7

the producers wish to thank

2014

 

Machsom (2013)

Machsom

7.9

Short

special thanks

2013

 

Dinner with Fred (2011)

Dinner with Fred

7.9

Short

special thanks

2011

 

Johanna Braddy in Hurt (2009)

Hurt

5.1

special thanks

2009

 

Jackson

Short

special thanks

2009

 

The Cure

Short

special thanks

2008

 

P3rsona (2008)

P3rsona

8.2

Short

special thanks

2008

 

Rabia (2007)

Rabia

7.2

Short

special thanks

2007

 

Oblivion, Nebraska (2006)

Oblivion, Nebraska

7.1

Short

special thanks

2006

 

Damian Pelliccione and Nick Bartzen in Tumbleweed Town (2001)

Straight Boys

6.1

Short

special thanks

2006

 

Murder-Set-Pieces (2004)

Murder-Set-Pieces

3.7

special thanks

2004