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
The Godfather
Magnum, P.I.
Kojak
Seven
...All the Marbles
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Search
The Jerk
All Movies (20)
- The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–19592016 · as Luca Brasi (uncredited)
- Halloween Monster Bash1991 · as Skipper (archive footage)
- Blood Song1982 · as Skipper
- Pandemonium1982 · as Coach
- Evilspeak1981 · as Jake
- ...All the Marbles1981 · as Jerome
- Below the Belt1980 · as The Geek
- The Big Brawl1980 · as John
- Defiance1980 · as Whacko
- The Jerk1979 · as Con Man
- Seven1979 · as The Kahuna
- They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way1978 · as Brick
- Matilda1978 · as Hood #1
- Fingers1978 · as Luchino
- Contract on Cherry Street1977 · as Phil Lombardi
- Patty1976 · as The Racketeer
- Strike Force1975 · as Italian Dockworker
- The Funny Face of the Godfather1973 · as Saro
- The Godfather1972 · as Luca Brasi
- Change of Habit1969 · as Grocer (uncredited)
All TV Shows (4)
- Magnum, P.I.1980 · as Marquis' Bodyguard
- Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television1977 · as Luca Brasi (uncredited)
- Kojak1973 · as McCoy
- Search1972