Lenny Montana
Encyclopedia
Lenny Montana (March 13, 1926, Brooklyn
, New York City
– May 12, 1992, Vierri, Italy
) was an American actor, who played the role of feared hitman Luca Brasi
in The Godfather. Prior to becoming an actor, he had a successful career as a professional wrestler,. He stood 6'6".
heritage. He was fluent in both English
and Italian
languages. His wrestling career began in neighboring New Jersey
in 1953. He wrestled under the Zebra Kid gimmick. He was billed at the height of 6 foot 6 inches. It wasn't long before Montana found success. Along with Golden Terror, they won the New Jersey Tag Team titles on April 4, 1953. Lenny began to travel on the road, wrestling in the Midwest. He soon won the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
, defeating Dave Sims on October 1, 1953 in Kansas City
. However he lost the title on December 11, 1953 to Sonny Myers, who had held the title a previous three times before defeating the Zebra Kid. His final success of the 1950s came in 1956, winning the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship with Gene Kiniski
, defeating Herb Freeman and Ray Gunkel
on September 18 in Dallas under the alias Len Crosby. He also worked as a bouncer
during this time to earn extra money, refusing patrons and removing drunken customers at several bars and clubs
.
Circuit as a wrestler. As a popular wrestler within the circuit, Montana met the then unknown Eddie Sharkey
in 1960. The two struck up a friendship. After seeing what Sharkey could do, Montana recommended that he try his hand at professional wrestling. Montana also clued up Sharkey on the then-unacknowledged truth about professional wrestling, that all the outcomes are predetermined. Later on in that year, Montana won the NWA Texas World Tag Team titles with Joe Christie, under the Len Crosby name. Then with Hard Boiled Haggarty
, he won the AWA World Tag Team Championship on October 4, 1960, defeating Stan Kowalski and Tiny Mills( wrestling as Murder Inc.) in Minneapolis. But in a match against Verne Gagne
, Montana suffered a broken leg, forcing Haggarty to choose a new partner. After recovering from his injury, in 1961 Montana began to wrestle in Florida
. He came to the Tampa Bay
area and began to wrestle under The Zebra Kid alias. At his great size, he would often pin his opponents in under one minute. The Zebra Kid had a notable feud with Eddie Graham
; their battles sold out Fort Homer Hesterly Armory many Tuesday nights in 1961. Things came to a head when Montana defeated Eddie Graham in a NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version)
title match on May 1, 1962. On November 23, 1962, he won the NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team Titles with his partner Gypsy Joe, defeating 'Grizzly' Jake Smith and Luke Brown. Montana then went on to form a powerful partnership with Tarzan Tyler, in which they would win three titles. First, the NWA International Tag Team Titles on April 9, 1963 defeating Ted Evans and Chief Little Eagle, then again winning the NWA International Tag Team Titles later in June 1963, defeating billed champions Chief Little Eagle and Dick Steinborn. Finally, the duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in Georgia, during October 1963, they defeated Karl Von Brauner and Kurt Von Brauner. Montana was due to be Gorilla Monsoon's tag team
partner in 1964, but it never happened due to Monsoon becoming partners with The African Savage at the last minute. Lenny had been interested in acting, and was meeting with casting agents in Los Angeles
at the same time he was due to team up with Bison. Montana began to wrestle less and less, and went into semi-retirement; however he appeared in matches up until his acting career took off in the early 1970s.
ist. He would tie a tampon to the tail of a mouse, dip it in kerosene
, light it, and let the mouse run through a building, or he would put a candle
in front of a cuckoo clock
, and when the cuckoo would pop out, the candle would fall over and start a fire. Eventually, Montana ended up doing time in Riker's Island Prison. Upon being released, as a friend of the family, Montana would act as a bodyguard
for many of the senior members of the Colombo Family.
faced strong opposition from the Italian-American Civil Rights League
, the disputes headed by Joe Colombo
and also heavy opposition from Frank Sinatra
threatening its whole production. Producer Al Ruddy eventually made a deal with the league and Joe Colombo to cut the word Mafia from the script, and the league were behind the production of the film. This meant many mobsters would be present on the set of The Godfather. It was in 1971 that Montana was acting as a bodyguard for a senior Colombo Family member that Lenny, Francis Ford Coppola and Al Ruddy met. After being introduced to the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Montana, they quickly cast him for the role of Luca Brasi
. When Bettye McCartt, Al Ruddy's assistant, broke her watch, Montana offered to get her a new one. A week later, Montana returned with a "gift from the boys" – an antique diamond watch. He was picked for the part after the original actor playing the character died of a stroke
. This would be his first film appearance. His role was that of brutal mob enforcer Luca Brasi, a hitman
used by Don Corleone
(Marlon Brando
). Montana was so nervous about appearing opposite Brando that he kept practicing his lines over and over again. Francis Ford Coppola
rewrote the scene to feature this. Montana also suffered an attack of nerves during the scene where his character thanked the Don; Coppola also wrote this into the script as Brasi being overwhelmed by the Don's invitation to his daughter's wedding. He had little screen time in the role of Luca Brasi, but his notable height and physique caught the eye of producers, and he appeared in several movies and television programs after appearing in The Godfather.
film L'Altra faccia del padrino (AKA The funny face of The Godfather) in 1973. Montana had the role of Saro, and an artist's rendition of Montana appeared on the film's poster. He established himself as an efficient character actor
and appeared in Patty
(1976), Fingers (1978) as the pizzeria owner Luchino, Matilda (1978), They Went That - A - Way & That - A - Way (1978), The Jerk
(1979), Seven (1979), Below the Belt (1980), Defiance
(1980), Battle Creek Brawl (1980) alongside Jackie Chan
, Evilspeak (1981), ...All the Marbles (1981) and finally Pandemonium
in 1982. Montana also made a cameo appearance
as Skipper in 1982 movie Blood Song
. He also acted on television as well as the big screen, appearing in Search
(1973), Strike Force (1975), which starred a young Richard Gere
, Contract on Cherry Street
(1977), which featured Frank Sinatra
, Kojak
(1978), They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way (1978) and Magnum, P.I.
(1982). Montana was usually cast as "muscle" for hire or an intimidating mobster.
Blood Song, which he also co-wrote. He died of a heart attack on May 12, 1992 while in Italy
. He was 66 years old. His likeness was used as his character Luca Brasi in The Godfather Game. Terence McGovern provided the voice acting. Montana was survived by his wife and four children.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
– May 12, 1992, Vierri, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) was an American actor, who played the role of feared hitman Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation .-In the novel and film:In The Godfather, Luca Brasi is one of Don Vito Corleone's personal enforcers...
in The Godfather. Prior to becoming an actor, he had a successful career as a professional wrestler,. He stood 6'6".
Early wrestling career
He was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1926 of Italian AmericanItalian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
heritage. He was fluent in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
languages. His wrestling career began in neighboring New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1953. He wrestled under the Zebra Kid gimmick. He was billed at the height of 6 foot 6 inches. It wasn't long before Montana found success. Along with Golden Terror, they won the New Jersey Tag Team titles on April 4, 1953. Lenny began to travel on the road, wrestling in the Midwest. He soon won the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
, defeating Dave Sims on October 1, 1953 in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. However he lost the title on December 11, 1953 to Sonny Myers, who had held the title a previous three times before defeating the Zebra Kid. His final success of the 1950s came in 1956, winning the NWA Texas Tag Team Championship with Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
, defeating Herb Freeman and Ray Gunkel
Ray Gunkel
Raymond Fred Gunkel , known professionally as Ray Gunkel, was an American professional wrestler and promoter in the state of Georgia. He died of heart trauma after a match in Savannah, Georgia in which he defeated Ox Baker.-Early life:Gunkell was born on February 16, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois...
on September 18 in Dallas under the alias Len Crosby. He also worked as a bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
during this time to earn extra money, refusing patrons and removing drunken customers at several bars and clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
.
Later wrestling career
By the late 1950s, Montana was on the road with the CarnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
Circuit as a wrestler. As a popular wrestler within the circuit, Montana met the then unknown Eddie Sharkey
Eddie Sharkey
Eddie Sharkey is an American professional wrestling trainer. He is often called "The Trainer of Champions", and has been instrumental in training some of the biggest names in the industry, including the Road Warriors , "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Tom Zenk, Bob Backlund, Jerry Lynn, Sean Waltman, Nord...
in 1960. The two struck up a friendship. After seeing what Sharkey could do, Montana recommended that he try his hand at professional wrestling. Montana also clued up Sharkey on the then-unacknowledged truth about professional wrestling, that all the outcomes are predetermined. Later on in that year, Montana won the NWA Texas World Tag Team titles with Joe Christie, under the Len Crosby name. Then with Hard Boiled Haggarty
Don Stansauk
Don Stansauk was a professional wrestler and actor, known by his ring name, Hard Boiled Haggerty. He was previously a professional American football player, and became a successful character actor after his wrestling career.-Career:After attending Pasadena City College and the University of...
, he won the AWA World Tag Team Championship on October 4, 1960, defeating Stan Kowalski and Tiny Mills( wrestling as Murder Inc.) in Minneapolis. But in a match against Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
, Montana suffered a broken leg, forcing Haggarty to choose a new partner. After recovering from his injury, in 1961 Montana began to wrestle in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He came to the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
area and began to wrestle under The Zebra Kid alias. At his great size, he would often pin his opponents in under one minute. The Zebra Kid had a notable feud with Eddie Graham
Eddie Graham
Edward Gossett was a professional wrestler. He was also the promoter and booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida and President of the NWA in the 1970s. His son, Mike Graham, was also a professional wrestler.-Career:Edward F...
; their battles sold out Fort Homer Hesterly Armory many Tuesday nights in 1961. Things came to a head when Montana defeated Eddie Graham in a NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version)
NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version)
The Georgia version of the National Wrestling Alliance Southern Heavyweight Championship was a secondary singles championship used in Georgia Championship Wrestling off-and-on from 1948 to 1972....
title match on May 1, 1962. On November 23, 1962, he won the NWA (Georgia) Southern Tag Team Titles with his partner Gypsy Joe, defeating 'Grizzly' Jake Smith and Luke Brown. Montana then went on to form a powerful partnership with Tarzan Tyler, in which they would win three titles. First, the NWA International Tag Team Titles on April 9, 1963 defeating Ted Evans and Chief Little Eagle, then again winning the NWA International Tag Team Titles later in June 1963, defeating billed champions Chief Little Eagle and Dick Steinborn. Finally, the duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in Georgia, during October 1963, they defeated Karl Von Brauner and Kurt Von Brauner. Montana was due to be Gorilla Monsoon's tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
partner in 1964, but it never happened due to Monsoon becoming partners with The African Savage at the last minute. Lenny had been interested in acting, and was meeting with casting agents in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the same time he was due to team up with Bison. Montana began to wrestle less and less, and went into semi-retirement; however he appeared in matches up until his acting career took off in the early 1970s.
Working for the Colombo Family
Montana became involved with the Colombo Family in the late 1960s. Tall and very heavily built, his talents were said to be as an enforcer and an arsonArson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist. He would tie a tampon to the tail of a mouse, dip it in kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
, light it, and let the mouse run through a building, or he would put a candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
in front of a cuckoo clock
Cuckoo clock
A cuckoo clock is a clock, typically pendulum-regulated, that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo's call and typically has a mechanical cuckoo that emerges with each note...
, and when the cuckoo would pop out, the candle would fall over and start a fire. Eventually, Montana ended up doing time in Riker's Island Prison. Upon being released, as a friend of the family, Montana would act as a bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
for many of the senior members of the Colombo Family.
The beginning of an acting career, role in The Godfather
The filming of the classic film The GodfatherThe Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
faced strong opposition from the Italian-American Civil Rights League
Italian-American Civil Rights League
The Italian-American Civil Rights League was formed as a political group in and around New York City in the early 1970s. Its stated goal was to combat pejorative stereotypes about Italian-Americans....
, the disputes headed by Joe Colombo
Joe Colombo
Joe Colombo may refer to:* Joseph Colombo , American gangster, boss of the Colombo crime family* Joe Cesare Colombo , Italian industrial designer...
and also heavy opposition from Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
threatening its whole production. Producer Al Ruddy eventually made a deal with the league and Joe Colombo to cut the word Mafia from the script, and the league were behind the production of the film. This meant many mobsters would be present on the set of The Godfather. It was in 1971 that Montana was acting as a bodyguard for a senior Colombo Family member that Lenny, Francis Ford Coppola and Al Ruddy met. After being introduced to the 6-foot-6, 320-pound Montana, they quickly cast him for the role of Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation .-In the novel and film:In The Godfather, Luca Brasi is one of Don Vito Corleone's personal enforcers...
. When Bettye McCartt, Al Ruddy's assistant, broke her watch, Montana offered to get her a new one. A week later, Montana returned with a "gift from the boys" – an antique diamond watch. He was picked for the part after the original actor playing the character died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. This would be his first film appearance. His role was that of brutal mob enforcer Luca Brasi, a hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
used by Don Corleone
Don Corleone
Don Corleone may refer to four major characters in Mario Puzo's The Godfather saga:*Vito Corleone, the original Don, played by Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro*Michael Corleone, Vito's son, played by Al Pacino, who took over the running of the family...
(Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
). Montana was so nervous about appearing opposite Brando that he kept practicing his lines over and over again. Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
rewrote the scene to feature this. Montana also suffered an attack of nerves during the scene where his character thanked the Don; Coppola also wrote this into the script as Brasi being overwhelmed by the Don's invitation to his daughter's wedding. He had little screen time in the role of Luca Brasi, but his notable height and physique caught the eye of producers, and he appeared in several movies and television programs after appearing in The Godfather.
Film and TV career
After appearing in The Godfather, Montana was an actor in demand. One of the first of these roles was the Italian spoofSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
film L'Altra faccia del padrino (AKA The funny face of The Godfather) in 1973. Montana had the role of Saro, and an artist's rendition of Montana appeared on the film's poster. He established himself as an efficient character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
and appeared in Patty
Patty (film)
Tanya is a low-budget 1976 comedy film directed by Nate Rodgers and loosely based on the experiences of Patricia Hearst. The lead character, Charlotte Kane, is 20-year-old heiress of a newspaper mogul. She is kidnapped by five sex-crazed pseudo-relovutionaries who call themselves "The Symphonic...
(1976), Fingers (1978) as the pizzeria owner Luchino, Matilda (1978), They Went That - A - Way & That - A - Way (1978), The Jerk
The Jerk
The Jerk is a 1979 American comedy film. Directed by Carl Reiner, the film was written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias. This was Steve Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also features Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh and Jackie Mason.-Plot:The film begins...
(1979), Seven (1979), Below the Belt (1980), Defiance
Defiance (1980 film)
Defiance is a 1980 American film starring Jan-Michael Vincent, Art Carney, and Theresa Saldana.Early Jerry Bruckheimer production. Jan-Michael Vincent portrays a suspended young seaman who takes up temporary housing in a neighborhood overrun by a gang, while waiting for his next orders to ship out....
(1980), Battle Creek Brawl (1980) alongside Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, Evilspeak (1981), ...All the Marbles (1981) and finally Pandemonium
Pandemonium (film)
Pandemonium is a 1982 comedy film spoofing horror movies. It had an ensemble cast including Eileen Brennan, Phil Hartman, Tab Hunter, Carol Kane, David Lander, Eve Arden, Paul Reubens, and Tom Smothers....
in 1982. Montana also made a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as Skipper in 1982 movie Blood Song
Blood Song
Blood Song is a 1982 horror film directed by Robert Angus and Alan J. Levi and starring Frankie Avalon.-Plot:...
. He also acted on television as well as the big screen, appearing in Search
Search (TV series)
Search is an American science fiction series that aired on Wednesday nights on NBC at 10 pm ET, from September 1972 to August 1973. It ran for 23 episodes, not including the two-hour pilot film originally titled Probe. When picked up for series production, the title had to be changed because Probe...
(1973), Strike Force (1975), which starred a young Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
, Contract on Cherry Street
Contract on Cherry Street
Contract on Cherry Street, a novel by Phillip Rosenberg about a New York police detective who turns vigilante against the mob when one of his partners is gunned down, was adapted for television in 1977 by Frank Sinatra's production company Artanis. Directed by William A...
(1977), which featured Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
(1978), They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way (1978) and Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I.
Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network....
(1982). Montana was usually cast as "muscle" for hire or an intimidating mobster.
Retirement and later life
Montana retired from acting after appearing in the B movieB movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
Blood Song, which he also co-wrote. He died of a heart attack on May 12, 1992 while in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was 66 years old. His likeness was used as his character Luca Brasi in The Godfather Game. Terence McGovern provided the voice acting. Montana was survived by his wife and four children.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling AssociationAmerican Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
- AWA World Tag Team ChampionshipAWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe American Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991.-History :...
(1 time) - with Hard Boiled HaggartyDon StansaukDon Stansauk was a professional wrestler and actor, known by his ring name, Hard Boiled Haggerty. He was previously a professional American football player, and became a successful character actor after his wrestling career.-Career:After attending Pasadena City College and the University of...
- Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports AttractionsHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
(1 time)
- Mid-South SportsGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version)NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version)The Georgia version of the National Wrestling Alliance Southern Heavyweight Championship was a secondary singles championship used in Georgia Championship Wrestling off-and-on from 1948 to 1972....
(1 time) - NWA International Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (2 times) - with Tarzan TylerCamille TourvilleCamille Tourville was a professional wrestler and manager better known as Tarzan Tyler. He was one-half of the first WWF Tag Team Champions, along with Luke Graham...
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) - with Gypsy JoeGilberto MelendezGilberto Melendez is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known under the ring name Gypsy Joe. Currently he wrestles for the Southern Wrestling Federation in Tullahoma, Tennessee.-Professional wrestling career:...
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)The Georgia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1954 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Georgia Championship Wrestling...
(1 time) - with Tarzan Tyler
- Southwest Sports, Inc.World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipWCWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship was the secondary tag team championship in World Class Championship Wrestling, originally known as the NWA Texas Tag-Team title until 1981 where they were abandoned. The titles were brought back in 1987 as the WCWA Texas Tag-Team titles but once the WCWA joined...
(1 time) - with Gene KiniskiGene KiniskiEugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta... - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version)The Texas version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 to 1968, and from 1981 to 1982. This title was recognized by World Class Championship Wrestling and The Funk Dynasty's N.W.A. Western States Sports of Amarillo, TX.-Title history:...
(1 time) - with Joe Christie