RIP Abe Vigoda

[sprite75]

RIP Abe Vigoda

Vigoda's daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, told The Associated Press that Vigoda died Tuesday morning in his sleep. He was 94 and had been staying at Fuchs' home in Woodland Park, New Jersey. She said the cause of death was old age. "This man was never sick," Fuchs said.

   Vigoda's leathery, sunken-eyed face made him ideal for playing his two most noted roles, the over-the-hill detective Phil Fish in the 1970s TV series "Barney Miller" and the doomed Mafia soldier in "The Godfather."

[Rev. Powell]

! No longer available

The "Abe Vigoda isn't dead yet" jokes went back to 1988. I think they indicate how much affection people actually had for Abe Vigoda. He was always a good sport. RIP Mr. Vigoda.

[indianasmith]

I will always remember him as Detective Fish.

[javakoala]

So long, Mr. Vigoda, and thanks for Fish.

[Raffine]

There was an episode of Barney Miller where Fish was declared dead by the city. Later in the episode someone tells him he looks just like Boris Karloff. "Why not"? said Fish. "We're both dead".

I recently discovered he actually played the Karloff role in an 80's Broadway revival of Arsenic and Old Lace.

RIP, Det. Fish.

[RCMerchant]

He always looked like Karloff in the 1930's-the actual Karloff in his older years looked much different.
He was great-though-RIP Abe.

[BoyScoutKevin]

He's dead. He's really dead.

I am afraid that Abe was one of those actors, who when I heard was still alive, my response was "I thought he was dead." I guess he finally is. And "Thank-you for all the Fish."

As I understand it, a lot of people in law enforcement were not happy with what they saw on TV, because of the unrealistic way that they were portrayed. There were exceptions to their unhappiness, one of them being "Barney Miller," which was one of the more realistic portrayals of law enforcement on TV. Thus, here are the regulars on the show, and whether they are now deceased or still living.

Living
-Hal Linden
-Max Gail
-Ron Glass
-Gregory Sierra
-and Barbara Barrie

Deceased
-Steve Landesberg
-Ron Carey
-Jack Woo
-James Gregory
-and Abe Vigoda

R.I.P. Abe.