Lenny Montana
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
Credits
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Blood Song 1982Skipper★ 4.8 -
Pandemonium 1982Coach★ 4.5 -
Evilspeak 1981Jake★ 5.3 -
Luca Brasi (uncredited)★ 9.2 -
...All the Marbles 1981Jerome★ 6.2 -
Magnum, P.I. 1980Marquis' Bodyguard★ 7.3 -
Below the Belt 1980The Geek★ 6 -
The Big Brawl 1980John★ 5.9 -
Defiance 1980Whacko★ 6.3 -
The Jerk 1979Con Man★ 6.9 -
Seven 1979The Kahuna★ 5.7 -
Brick★ 4 -
Matilda 1978Hood #1★ 5.2 -
Fingers 1978Luchino★ 6.3 -
Phil Lombardi★ 6.3 -
Luca Brasi (uncredited)★ 8.6 -
Patty 1976The Racketeer★ NR -
Strike Force 1975Italian Dockworker★ 5.6 -
Kojak 1973McCoy★ 7 -
Saro★ 2 -
Search 1972★ 6.9 -
The Godfather 1972Luca Brasi★ 8.7 -
Change of Habit 1969Grocer (uncredited)★ 5.3