Richard Foronjy

Richard Edward Foronjy (August 3, 1937 – May 19, 2024) was an American film and television actor.^[1][2]

Richard Foronjy
Publicity photo of Richard Foronjy
Born	(1937-08-03)August 3, 1937 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	May 19, 2024(2024-05-19) (aged 86)
Occupation(s)	Film and television actor
Years active	1973–2003

Early life

Foronjy was born in Brooklyn, New York,^[3] on August 3, 1937.^[4] Prior to becoming an actor, Foronjy had an extensive criminal record, including armed robbery. He also worked as a butcher.^[5]

Career

Foronjy saw his first small role as Corsaro in Serpico.^[3]

Foronjy was perhaps best known for playing the mobster Tony Darvo in the 1988 film Midnight Run and the mobster Peter Amadesso in the 1993 film Carlito's Way.^[6] He also played one of the key parts, Detective Joe Marinaro, in Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City.^[3]

In Repo Man, starring Harry Dean Stanton, Foronjy played Arnold Plettschner, the rent-a-cop who memorably said, "You’re fuckin’ right I’m Plettschner! Arnold Plettschner! Three times decorated in two world wars! I was killing people while you were still swimming around in your father’s balls! You little scumbag! I worked five years in a slaughterhouse, and ten years as a prison guard in Attica!"^[3]

Foronjy wrote and published a memoir called From the Mob to the Movies on October 8, 2020. In retirement, he lived in the Hudson Valley of New York.

Death

Foronjy died on May 19, 2024, at the age of 86.^[3][7]

At the 97th Academy Awards, his name was mentioned in the In Memoriam section.^[8]

Partial filmography

• Serpico (1973) – Corsaro
• The Gambler (1974) – Donny
• Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) – Landscape Man
• The One Man Jury (1978) – Al

Taxi:A Full House for Christmas-Louie's brother Nick

• The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979) – Mike
• The Jerk (1979) – Con Man
• Prince of the City (1981) – Detective Joe Marinaro
• True Confessions (1981) – Ambulance Driver
• Gangster Wars (1981) – Umberto Joe The Boss' Bodyguard (uncredited)
• Repo Man (1984) – Plettschner
• Once Upon a Time in America (1984) – Officer Whitey aka Fartface
• City Heat (1984) – Poker Player
• Odd Jobs (1986) – Mannu
• The Check Is in the Mail... (1986) – Tony
• The Morning After (1986) – Sergeant Greenbaum
• The Galucci Brothers (1987) – Galucci Brother
• Midnight Run (1988) – Tony Darvo^[9]
• Ghostbusters II (1989) – Con Ed Supervisor
• Oscar (1991) – Knucky
• The Public Eye (1992) – Frank Farinelli
• Fatal Instinct (1993) – Cy Tarr
• DaVinci's War (1993) – Hamlet
• Carlito's Way (1993) – Pete Amadesso
• Man of the House (1995) – Murray
• Recoil (1998) – Vincent Sloan
• Hoods (1998) – Tony
• Evasive Action (1998) – Vince