Tony Lo Bianco

Anthony LoBianco (October 19, 1936 – June 11, 2024) was an American actor.

Born to first-generation Italian American parents in New York City, Lo Bianco began his career in theater, appearing in several Broadway productions throughout the 1960s. He transitioned to film in the 1970s, starring in the New Hollywood crime films The Honeymoon Killers (1970), The French Connection (1971), and The Seven-Ups (1973).

He won an Obie Award for his 1975 role in an Off-Broadway production of Yanks-3, Detroit-0, Top of the Seventh, and subsequently earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor for his role as Eddie in the 1983 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's 1955 play A View from the Bridge.

In addition to film and theater, Lo Bianco appeared as a guest-star on numerous television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including appearances on Police Story (1974–1976), Franco Zeffirelli's miniseries Jesus of Nazareth (1977), and Marco Polo (1982).

In 1984, he appeared in a stage production of Hizzoner!, playing New York politician Fiorello H. La Guardia, for which he won a New York Emmy Award. The one-man play was subsequently staged on Broadway in 1989, and Lo Bianco went on to perform several other Off-Broadway iterations of it, including LaGuardia (2008) and The Little Flower (2012–2015).

Early life The grandson of Sicilian immigrants, Anthony LoBianco was born October 19, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a housewife mother and a taxi driver father. He attended the William E. Grady CTE High School, a vocational school in Brooklyn. There, he had a teacher who encouraged him to try out for plays, which is when he began to develop an interest in acting. He performed as an understudy in a 1964 Broadway production of Incident at Vichy, and the following year had a supporting role in a Broadway production of Tartuffe. In 1983, Lo Bianco was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge. Lo Bianco appeared in several independent films in the 1990s: in 1995 as Jimmy Jacobs in the HBO biographical film Tyson, in 1996 as Briggs in Sworn to Justice with Cynthia Rothrock. He had a minor role in Nixon, directed by Oliver Stone.

A New York Times profile in 2015 reported that Lo Bianco was at work on a one-man show playing himself and a film script about his early life. His humanitarian efforts earned multiple awards, including Man of the Year for Outstanding Contributions to the Italian-American Community from the Police Society of New Jersey; a Man of the Year Award from the State of New Jersey Senate; a Lifetime Entertainment Award from the Columbus Day Parade Committee; the 1997 Golden Lion Award; and a Humanitarian Award of the Boys' Town of Italy.

Lo Bianco was married from 1964 until 1984 to Dora Landey. They had three daughters. He was married to Elizabeth Fitzpatrick from 2002 until 2008. He was then married to Alyse Best Muldoon since June 2015 until his death.

Lo Bianco was an avid cat lover and owned a Siamese cat named Simone, as well as various horses and dogs. Later in his life, when his psychiatrist asked him to imagine the most relaxing thing he could think of, Lo Bianco imagined a cat sitting on his wife Alyse's lap.

Death Lo Bianco died as a result of prostate cancer at his farm in Poolesville, Maryland, on June 11, 2024, at the age of 87.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1965 The Sex Perils of Paulette Allen 1970 The Honeymoon Killers Ray Fernandez 1971 The French Connection Salvatore Boca 1973 Mean Frank and Crazy Tony Tony Breda Serpico Rizzo Uncredited The Seven-Ups Vito Lucia 1976 Goldenrod Jesse Gifford God Told Me To Peter J. Nicholas Merciless Man The American 1978 F.I.S.T. Anthony 'Babe' Milano Bloodbrothers Tommy De Coco 1981 Pals Frank Green Short film Separate Ways Ken Colby 1983 Another Woman's Child Mike DeBray 1984 City Heat Leon Coll 1991 City of Hope Joe Rinaldi The Good Policeman Jerry Diangelis 1993 Boiling Point Tony Dio 1994 La ragnatela del silenzio - A.I.D.S. Professor Donati The Ascent Aldo Power and Lovers Warren 1995 Nixon Johnny Roselli 1996 The Juror Louie Boffano Sworn to Justice Briggs 1997 Cold Night Into Dawn Supervisor Klyn 1998 Mafia! Cesar Marzoni The Pawn Lou 2000 The Day the Ponies Come Back Paul DeCruccio 2001 Friends & Family Victor Patrizzi Down 'n Dirty Detective Dan Ward 2002 Endangered Species Captain Tanzini 2003 The Cruelest Day General Loi 2006 The Last Request Monte 2009 Frame of Mind 'Mouthman' 2011 Kill the Irishman Jack White 2013 Send No Flowers Anthony Albano 2016 79 Parts Vincent Blondie Johnny Short film 2022 Somewhere in Queens Dominic "Pops" Russo Final film role

Television

Partial stage credits Year Title RoleOriginal venue Notes 1964–65 Incident at Vichy PrisonerANTA Washington Square Theatre Understudy 2012 The Little Flower 2015

Awards and nominations