‘Miami Vice’
Dennis Farina, who died July 22 at the age of 69 after suffering a blood clot in his lung, portrayed notorious mobster Al Lombard on the 1980s crime drama starring Don Johnson.
Dennis Farina, who died July 22 at the age of 69 after suffering a blood clot in his lung, portrayed notorious mobster Al Lombard on the 1980s crime drama starring Don Johnson.
One of Farina's most memorable supporting roles was in the 1988 crime comedy Midnight Run, where he played Chicago mob boss Jimmy Serrano opposite Robert De Niro as a bounty hunter recruited to apprehend a fugitive accountant (Charles Grodin) who embezzled $15 million from Serrano.
Farina headlined the late '80s NBC series Crime Story alongside Tony Denison; the latter portrayed mobster Ray Luca, while Farina, in a nod to his days as a real-life Chicago cop, played Lieutenant Mike Torello, who's dead-set on putting Luca behind bars.
Farina tried his hand at starring in a TV sitcom as domineering dad (and scourge of his son-in-law) Victor Pellet on NBC's In-Laws, which ran from 2002-03.
Farina took on one of his go-to roles — a money-hungry mobster — in 1995's Get Shorty as Ray "Bones" Barboni, who spars with rival and loan shark Chili Palmer, portrayed by John Travolta.
Farina played Detective Joe Fontana in 46 episodes of NBC's Law & Order, added to the cast following the death of Jerry Orbach. "The Law & Order family extends sympathy and condolences to his family. He was a great guy," series creator Dick Wolf said in a statement to THR.
Steven Spielberg chose Farina to portray Army Lieutenant Colonel Walter Anderson in 1998's Academy Award-winning Saving Private Ryan.
Snatch, the 2000 crime comedy helmed by Guy Ritchie, starred Farina as New York City jeweler and gangster Cousin Avi, caught up in a diamond heist gone wrong. Brad Pitt, Jason Statham and Benicio Del Toro also starred.
Farina starred alongside Dustin Hoffman in the short-lived HBO drama Luck, playing the owner of an up-and-coming racehorse.
On the Fox ensemble comedy New Girl, Farina had a two-episode recurring role as Walt Miller, the overbearing, dilettante father of Nick Miller (Jake Johnson).