Lenny Montana
Acting
1926-03-13 · Brooklyn, New York, USA
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.
movieThe Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
as Luca Brasi (uncredited) · 2016 · 9.0
movieHalloween Monster Bash
as Skipper (archive footage) · 1991 · 0.0
movieBlood Song
as Skipper · 1982 · 4.9
moviePandemonium
as Coach · 1982 · 4.7
movieEvilspeak
as Jake · 1981 · 5.3
movie...All the Marbles
as Jerome · 1981 · 6.1
tvMagnum, P.I.
as Marquis' Bodyguard · 1980 · 7.3
movieBelow the Belt
as The Geek · 1980 · 6.7
movieThe Big Brawl
as John · 1980 · 5.9
movieDefiance
as Whacko · 1980 · 6.4
movieThe Jerk
as Con Man · 1979 · 6.9
movieSeven
as The Kahuna · 1979 · 5.8
movieThey Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way
as Brick · 1978 · 4.4
movieMatilda
as Hood #1 · 1978 · 5.7
movieFingers
as Luchino · 1978 · 6.4
movieContract on Cherry Street
as Phil Lombardi · 1977 · 6.8
tvMario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
as Luca Brasi (uncredited) · 1977 · 8.6
moviePatty
as The Racketeer · 1976 · 7.0
movieStrike Force
as Italian Dockworker · 1975 · 5.9
tvKojak
as McCoy · 1973 · 7.2
movieThe Funny Face of the Godfather
as Saro · 1973 · 6.0
tvSearch
as · 1972 · 7.1
movieThe Godfather
as Luca Brasi · 1972 · 8.7
movieChange of Habit
as Grocer (uncredited) · 1969 · 5.4