Alex Rocco
Alex Rocco
Alessandro Federico Petricone, Jr., known professionally as Alex Rocco, was an American actor. Often cast as a villain, he is best known for his portrayal of Moe Greene in The Godfather. He did a significant amount of voiceover work later in his career, and was known for his gravelly voice. He was also a member of the Baha'i Faith...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth29 February 1936
CityCambridge, MA
CountryUnited States of America
I don't mean you have to be overbearing, but you have to stay on top of things - read the trades, know what's going on in the town. I call it 'dare to be stupid.' The worst thing they can say is, 'We got nothing for you.' So I've hustled a lot.
I had to get out of the Boston area, so I flipped a coin and said, 'Heads - Miami, tails - California. I was in my mid-20s and came out here with no training. Acting wasn't even in my mind.
I saw a bakery truck go by with the name 'Rocco' on it, and that's when I decided to become Alex Rocco.
Playing gangsters is great. They usually dress you sharp. And you have a license to pretty much bully anybody. I mean, I wouldn't dare do that at home. My wife will give me a back hander.
I was a young kid; I did a little time in the Billerica House of Correction, and it basically turned my life around because I said, 'Oh, I'll never be locked up again. They're not taking away my privacy.' So I flipped a coin: heads - Miami, tails -California.
I worked in this bar called the Raincheck Room in the '60s; it used to be over on Santa Monica Boulevard, and, y'know, it was a pretty hip place. Lots of actors hung out there.