Joe Spinell (born Joseph Spagnuolo; October 28, 1936 – January 13, 1989) was an American character actor who appeared in films in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as various stage productions on and off Broadway.

[2] Spinell was born at his family's apartment on Second Avenue in Kips Bay, Manhattan, an area then home to 10,000 Italian Americans.

[3] A few years after the death of his father, he moved with his mother and older siblings to Woodside, Queens, New York, where he lived off-and-on for the remainder of his life.

Spinell was set to reprise his role as Willi Cicci in The Godfather Part III (1990) but he died before filming began.

In 1975, he acted in Frank Perry's Rancho Deluxe,[7] Barry Shear's Strike Force, Dick Richards's Farewell, My Lovely,[8] and Thomas McGuane's 92 in the Shade.

[9] In 1976, he acted in Paul Mazursky's Next Stop, Greenwich Village, Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver,[10] and Bob Rafelson's Stay Hungry.

It earned $225 million in global box office receipts, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1976, went on to win three Oscars, including Best Picture, and turned lead actor Sylvester Stallone into a major star.

In 1978, he acted in Paul Williams's Nunzio, John Milius's Big Wednesday, Sylvester Stallone's Paradise Alley, and The One Man Jury.

He also played the main antagonist in Luigi Cozzi's Italian-produced space opera Starcrash,[12] starring Caroline Munro and Marjoe Gortner.

[20] In 1981, Spinell had a supporting role in the Sylvester Stallone action film Nighthawks,[21] and Richard Elfman's Forbidden Zone.

[citation needed] In 1985, he played the main villain in the crime film Walking the Edge, starring Robert Forster.

The film is considered a cult classic, due in part to Joe Spinell's involvement and its long and troubled production.