Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
March 13, 1926
Place of Birth:
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Social Media
Lenny Montana
Biography
Tall and solidly built, this Italian-American professional wrestler turned actor was born Lenny Passaforo in Brooklyn, New York, and is best remembered for his first on-screen role as the not too bright but ever loyal bodyguard Luca Brasi in The Godfather (1972). Montana didn't get a lot of screen time before being eliminated by the henchmen of opposing gangster Al Lettieri with a garrote and a knife; however, he caught the eye of casting agents and over the next ten years racked up roles in 16 movies. Usually cast as "muscle for hire", he was equally good at playing the intimidating thug or a buffoonish hoodlum, such as in Battle Creek Brawl (1980) and The Jerk (1979). His last film appearance was in the B-thriller Blood Song (1982), which he also co-wrote. He died in May 1992 of a heart attack while in Italy.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Blood Song | Skipper |
| 1982 | Pandemonium | Coach |
| 1981 | ...All the Marbles | Jerome |
| 1981 | The Godfather 1901–1959: The Complete Epic | Luca Brasi (uncredited) |
| 1981 | Evilspeak | Jake |
| 1980 | The Big Brawl | John |
| 1980 | Defiance | Whacko |
| 1980 | Below the Belt | The Geek |
| 1979 | The Jerk | Con Man |
| 1979 | Seven | The Kahuna |
| 1978 | Matilda | Hood #1 |
| 1978 | They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way | Brick |
| 1978 | Fingers | Luchino |
| 1977 | Contract on Cherry Street | Phil Lombardi |
| 1976 | Patty | The Racketeer |
| 1975 | Strike Force | Italian Dockworker |
| 1973 | The Funny Face of the Godfather | Saro |
| 1972 | The Godfather | Luca Brasi |
| 1969 | Change of Habit | Grocer (uncredited) |
| Patty | The Racketeer |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Magnum, P.I. | Marquis' Bodyguard |
| 1977 | Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television | Luca Brasi (uncredited) |
| 1973 | Kojak | McCoy |
| 1972 | Search |