Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992) was an Italian-American stage, film and television actor.

Gardenia's other notable feature films include Murder Inc. (1960), The Hustler (1961), The Front Page (1974), Greased Lightning (1977), Heaven Can Wait (1978) and The Super (1991).

As a child, he performed in the troupe in Italian-American neighborhoods in and around New York City,[2] having later said, "the titles changed, but they were usually about a son or daughter who gets in trouble, runs away, then begs forgiveness".

In addition, Gardenia gave memorable performances in popular TV shows such as The Twilight Zone, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Ironside, The Big Valley and The Fugitive.

[citation needed] Around 1 a.m. on December 9, 1992, hours after the final preview performance, Gardenia had returned to his hotel room after dining with stage director John Tillinger, producer Elliot Martin and cast members.

According to authorities, when Gardenia failed to appear the next morning for a radio interview to promote the play's run, press representative Irene Gandy and cast member Vince Viverito became alarmed.

The hotel sent an engineer who opened the door and Gardenia was discovered dead of a heart attack, dressed and clutching the telephone.

[citation needed] That evening, in the theatrical tradition of "the show must go on" and just hours after Gardenia's death, the play's official opening took place.

[4][15] A section of 16th Avenue in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he resided until his death, bears the honorary name of Vincent Gardenia Boulevard in his honor.