Burt Young

Gerald Tommaso DeLouise (April 30, 1940 – October 8, 2023) , known professionally as Burt Young, was an American actor. He played Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the Rocky film series, his performance in the first installment of which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Young also appeared in such films as Chinatown (1974), The Gambler (1974), The Killer Elite (1975), Convoy (1978), Uncle Joe Shannon (1978), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), A Summer to Remember (1985), Back to School (1986), Last Exit to Brooklyn (1990), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), Transamerica (2005), Win Win (2011), and Bottom of the 9th (2019).

Early life Young was born on April 30, 1940, in Queens, New York City, and raised in the Queens neighborhood of Corona, the son of Josephine and Michael DeLouise, a high school shop teacher. He was of Italian descent.

Young was trained by Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

Career Military service Young served a tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1957 to 1959; while in the Marine Corps, he boxed regularly, winning 32 of 34 boxing bouts.

Acting Young made his name playing rough-edged working class Italian-American characters, the best-known example being his signature role as Rocky Balboa's friend (and future brother-in-law) Paulie in Rocky (1976), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He is one of four actors (the other three being Sylvester Stallone, Stu Nahan, and Tony Burton) who have appeared in all of the first six Rocky films (although Talia Shire, who appears in the first five films, makes a flashback appearance in the sixth). Young did not reprise his role in the 2015 film Creed; the character was described as having died in 2012.

Young appeared in such films as Chinatown, Convoy, Back to School, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Once Upon a Time in America, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Downtown: A Street Tale, and Amityville II: The Possession.

Television appearances for Young included The Rockford Files, Baretta, Law & Order, Walker, Texas Ranger, All in the Family, M*A*S*H, and Miami Vice. He made an appearance on The Sopranos ("Another Toothpick") as Bobby Baccalieri's father, who is dying of cancer and comes out of retirement to execute a hit on his godson, Salvatore "Mustang Sally" Intile, as punishment for Intile having brutally beaten a family friend simply for chatting with Intile's girlfriend.

In 1986, Young appeared alongside Robert De Niro and Ralph Macchio in a Broadway production of Reinaldo Povod's play Cuba and His Teddy Bear.

In a nod to his having served in the U.S. Marine Corps, he played a retired drill instructor in the short-lived 1987 ABC series Roomies, in which his character decides to go to college after his retirement.

Painting and writing Young was also a painter; his art has been displayed in galleries throughout the world. As an artist, he collaborated with the writer Gabriele Tinti, for whom he designed the cover for the poetry collection All Over, as well as contributing the illustrations for the art book A Man. Some of Young's actual paintings were shown in a scene in Rocky Balboa when Paulie gets fired from the meatpacking plant.

Young was also a published author whose works included two filmed screenplays and a 400-page historical novel called Endings. He wrote two stage plays: SOS and A Letter to Alicia and the New York City Government from a Man With a Bullet in His Head.

Personal life Young's wife, Gloria, died in 1974. He had a daughter and a grandson. He resided in Port Washington, New York.

Young owned a restaurant in the Bronx, New York. He participated in the 1984 New York City Marathon.

Death Young died at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, on October 8, 2023, at the age of 83. The immediate cause of death was ruled as cardiac arrest with contributing factors listed as myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerosis. He was buried at Mount St. Mary Cemetery in Flushing, Queens.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1970 Carnival of Blood Gimpy Credited as John Harris 1971 Born to Win First Hood The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight Willie Quarequlo 1972 Across 110th Street Lapides 1973 Cinderella Liberty Master At Arms 1975 The Killer Elite Mac Red-Blooded American Girl II Roy Falk Direct-to-video The Undertaker's Wedding Alberto Direct-to-video 1999 Mickey Blue Eyes Vito Graziosi Loser Love Sydney Delacroix 2000 The Florentine Joe McCollough Very Mean Men Dominic Piazza Blue Moon Bobby Table One Frankie Chips Direct-to-video 2002 The Adventures of Pluto Nash Gino Checkout Uncle Louie 2 Birds 1 Stallone Himself Kiss the Bride Santo Sposato 2003 Crooked Line Mike Ameche 2004 The Wager Jack Stockman Los Angeles Plays Itself Curly In Chinatown Uncredited, archive footage 2005 Land of Plenty Sherman Carlito's Way: Rise to Power Artie Bottolota Sr. Direct-to-video Shut Up and Kiss Me Vincent Bublioni Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow Actor Uncredited, archive footage Transamerica Murray 2006 RevoLOUtion: The Transformation of Lou Benedetti Himself Nicky's Game Leo Singer Short film Rocky Balboa Paulie Pennino In The Ring Himself Video documentary Tribute to Burgess Meredith Himself (voice) Video documentary short 2007 Blue Lake Massacre Pops Downtown: A Street Tale Gus The 21st Annual Genesis Awards Himself Video Skill vs. Will: The Making of 'Rocky Balboa''' Himself Video documentary short Go Go Tales| Murray Oliviero Rising| Santino The Hideout| Mueller Hack!| J.T. Bates Direct-to-video

Carnera: The Walking Mountain| Lou Serosi Rocky Jumped a Park Bench| Himself Documentary short, archive footage 2009 New York, I Love You| Landlord 2010 Kingshighway| Mario Capriolini 2011 Win Win| Leo Poplar 2012 Casting By| Himself Documentary

See You Tomorrow| Mario Palagonia All Over| Himself - Host Video short

Tom in America| Michael Short film Zarra's Law| Paul Canto Rob the Mob| Joey D.

The Elevator: Three Minutes Can Change Your Life| George Lostland| Actor Short film Irene & Marie| John Short film Fall 4 You| Dominick Short film 2016 The Dicks| Ed Short film

The Neighborhood| 'Jingles' King Rat| Art Stillman John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs| Himself Documentary

The Selfish Ones| Father John (voice) Short film 6 Grandchildren And One Grandfather| Grandfather Sarah Q| Grandpa The Amityville Murders| Brigante Road to the Lemon Grove| Zio Vincenzo

The Brawler| Salvatore Bottom of the 9th| Scaleri Vault| Don Ruggiero Tapestry| Ian Smothered by Mothers|Ivan

40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic| Himself - Paulie Pennino Documentary short, archive audio Beckman| Salvatore

Stallone: Frank, That Is| Himself Documentary Charlie Boy| Luca The Final Code| Detective

Way of the Warriors| George Stevens In production Asleep at the Wheel'' Judge In production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1969 The Doctors Bartender Episode #1785 10 October 1969 1973 The Connection Ernie Television film 1973 M*A*S*H Lieutenant Willis Episode: "L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel)" 1974 The Great Niagara Ace Tully Television film 1975 Hustling Gustavino Television film 1976 The Rockford Files Stuart Gaily Episode: "The Family Hour" 1975–1976 Baretta WillySolomonJohnny Checco Episodes: "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow""The Big Hand's on Trouble" (Also the writer of this episode)"Soldier in the Jungle" 1976 Serpico Alec Rosen Episode: "The Deadly Game" 1976 Woman of the Year Ralph Rodino Television film 1977 Good Morning America Himself – Guest Episode: "17 March 1977" 1977 The 49th Annual Academy Awards Himself – Nominee Television special 1978 Daddy, I Don't Like It Like This Rocco Agnelli Television film, Also the writer of this film 1979–1980 The Mike Douglas Show Himself – Guest 2 episodes 1980 The 6th People's Choice Awards Himself – Accepting Favourite Motion Picture Award Television special 1980 Murder Can Hurt You Lt. Palumbo Television film 1983 You and Me Kid Actor Television series 1984 Miami Vice Lupo Ramirez Episode: "Give a Little, Take a Little" 1985 Airwolf Episode: "Prisoner of Yesterday" 1985 A Summer to Remember Fidel Fargo Television film 1985 Playboy Mid Summer Night's Dream Party 1985 Himself Television film 1985 The Equalizer Louie Ganucci Episode: "The Confirmation Day" 1986 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ed Fratus Episode 1x23, "Road Hog" 1986 Nightlife Himself 1 episode 1987 Roomies Nick Chase 8 episodes 1990 Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride Vincent Dominici Television miniseries 1992 The Final Contract Television film 1992 Tales from the Crypt Gambler Episode: "Split Personality" 1993 Double Deception Zimmer Television film 1994 Columbo Mo Weinberg Episode: "Undercover" 1994 Crocodile Shoes Lou Benedetti Television miniseries 1995 Bless This House Mr. Riveto Episode: "The Postman Always Moves Twice" 1996–1997 Walker, Texas Ranger Jack "Soldier" Belmont 2 episodes 1997 The Last Don Virginio Ballazzo Television miniseries 1997 Law & Order Lewis Darnell Episode: "Mad Dog" 1997 Before Women Had Wings Louis Ippolito Television film 1997 The Outer Limits Captain Parker Episode: "Tempests" 1998 Greener Fields Gallagher Television film 1999 The Making of a Mobster: 'Mickey Blue Eyes''' Himself Television short documentary 2000 The Howard Stern Show| Himself – Guest Episode: "6 May 2000" 2001 The Sopranos| Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri Sr. Episode: "Another Toothpick" 2002 Alternate Realities| Frank Television series 2003 The Handler| Dino Mantoni Episode: "Bruno Comes Back" 2004 I'm With Her| Himself Episode: "Winners & Losers & Whiners & Boozers: Part 2" 2005–2011 Biography| Himself 2 episodes 2005 The Contenders| Himself 4 episodes 2007 La noche desesperada| Murray Television film, archive footage 2008 Cinemania| Himself Episode: "Rocky IV" 2009 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit| Eddy Mack Episode: "Snatched" 2011 The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance| Himself Television film documentary 2013 Baciamo le mani – Palermo New York 1958| Gillo Draghi Television miniseries (Italian) 2014 Turning Point with Frank McKay| Himself Episode: "Frank McKay with Burt Young" 2015 The Jack and Triumph Show| Himself Episode: "Sorvino's Pants" 2016 Brows Held High| Paulie Pennino Episode: "Rocky and the Methods of Montage" 2016 Horace and Pete| Horace Sr. Web miniseries, Episode #1.10 2018 Kevin Can Wait| Marv Season 2 2019 Russian Doll'' Joe Recurring role, 2 episodes