BY LEE PFEIFFER
Alex Rocco, whose hard scrabble life on the streets of Boston prepared him to successfully play crime figures in films and on television, has died from pancreatic cancer at age 79. During his youth, Rocco ran with the notorious Winter Hill Gang, which was founded by the infamous Whitey Bulger. His association with the gang led him to be incarcerated as well as being suspected of having driven a getaway car used in a murder. At one point, his first wife was almost killed when a bomb exploded in a car she was driving. Rocco, who was born Alexander Petricone Jr, took the stage name of "Rocco" on a whim when he saw a bakery truck bearing the Rocco name on it. Fearing that his associations of the Boston mob would lead to his demise, he spontaneously decided to move to Hollywood. He took an acting class that was taught by Leonard Nimoy, who gave him valuable advice that led to some successful roles. Rocco's biggest break came with his performance as Moe Greene, the ill-fated Las Vegas casino owner who is marked for death by Michael Corleone in "The Godfather". Rocco's role was brief but he gave a commanding and memorable performance and his dialogue from the film is still widely quoted by movie fans. More roles followed but Rocco found himself typecast as mob wiseguys until he switched his talents to comedic roles in the 1980s. He won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the acclaimed but short-lived TV series "The Famous Teddy Z". That opened plenty of doors and Rocco remained a popular character actor throughout his career. He also appeared in "The Facts of Life" TV series that ran for nine seasons. Other film credits include "The Friends of Eddie Coyle", "Freebie and the Bean", "The Stunt Man" and "The Wedding Planner". For more click here.