John Mengatti

John Mengatti (September 21, 1954 – March 26, 2023) was an American actor primarily known for his role as Nick Vitaglia, Salami's cousin, on the CBS television series The White Shadow. Mengatti joined the cast midway through the second season and was a fan favorite with his distinctive New York–style accent. In 1982 he had guest appearances on The Facts of Life and CHiPs. In 1984, he appeared in Meatballs Part II.

After The White Shadow, Mengatti had sparse television and movie acting roles until 1986. He dropped out of acting for a while, but recently resurfaced on NYPD Blue in 2001 in a recurring role as Officer Howard.

Mengatti also appeared in Knights of the City, a 1986 action adventure film starring Leon Isaac Kennedy, Nicholas Campbell and Janine Turner. It was directed by Dominic Orlando and written by Leon Isaac Kennedy and filmed in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida.

Mengatti died on March 26, 2023, at the age of 68.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Randy Simonetti 1984 Meatballs Part II Armand "Flash" Carducci 1986 Knights of the City Mookie 1987 Hadley's Rebellion Bobby Clark 1991 Dead Men Don't Die Officer Ramirez 2004 Land of the Free? Walker Television Year Title Role Notes 1979–81 The White Shadow Nick Vitaglia Main cast (34 episodes) 1982 Taxi The Boy Episode: "Nina Loves Alex" 1982 The Facts of Life Paul Largo Episode: "Jo's Cousin" 1982 9 to 5 Fast Freddie Episode: "The Party's Over" 1982 CHiPs Boz Episode: "This Year's Riot" 1983–84 For Love and Honor Pvt. Dominick Petrizzo Main cast (12 episodes) 1984 E/R Jake Episode: "All Tied Up" 1985 Stir Crazy Pepper Episode: "Pilot" 1986 Cagney & Lacey Billy De Salvo Episode: "Act of Conscience" 2001–02 NYPD Blue Officer Howard Recurring role (2 episodes)