Tony Lo Bianco was a Tony Award-nominated actor best known for playing Sal Boca in the neo-noir classic, “The French Connection.”
- Died: June 11, 2024 (Who else died on June 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Poolesville, Maryland of prostate cancer at the age of 87.
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Tony Lo Bianco’s legacy
Born to Sicilian immigrants in Brooklyn, Tony Lo Bianco developed an interest in acting while attending William E. Grady CTE High School, leading him to attend Dramatic Workshop after graduation. His life in acting began on the stage, as both founder and artistic director at the Triangle Theatre and as a performer in Broadway productions of “Incident at Vichy,” “Tartuffe,” and “The Royal Hunt of the Sun.”
Lo Bianco made his screen debut in 1965 with “The Sex Perils of Paulette,” yet truly made a name for himself in 1970’s “The Honeymoon Killers,” which has since become a cult classic of crime cinema. The following year, he was in one of the landmark movies of the genre, “The French Connection,” kicking off a long career playing crooks and cops.
He never gave up his stage work, even after moving to the big screen. He won an Obie Award in 1975 for his performance in “Yanks-3, Detroit-0, Top of the Seventh,” was nominated for a Tony in 1985 for “A View from the Bridge,” won an Outer Critics Circle Award for the same role, and in 1984 won a Daytime Emmy Award for a broadcast version of the play “Hizzoner!” in which he played former New York City mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia.
When not acting, Lo Bianco gave himself to civic causes. He was a former national spokesperson for the Order Sons of Italy in America, won Man of the Year awards from the Police Society of New Jersey and State of New Jersey Senate, and received a Humanitarian Award of the Boys’ Town of Italy, among other honors.
Tributes to Tony Lo Bianco
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
