Who was Richard Romanus? Famous American Dancer Dead at 80

Richard Romanus, the actor known for his roles in “The Sopranos” and “Heavy Metal,” has passed away at the age of 80. His extensive career featured a range of tough-guy characters, most notably in his collaboration with Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets.” While he will be remembered for iconic roles like Harry Canyon in “Heavy Metal” and Richard LaPenna in “The Sopranos,” his portrayal of Michael Longo, the Little Italy loan shark, remains unforgettable. Romanus died on December 23 at a private hospital in Volos, Greece, as confirmed by his son, Robert Romanus, to The Hollywood Reporter. Social media is expected to be flooded with video tributes to honor his legacy.

Beyond his tough-guy image, Romanus showcased versatility in his career. He provided his voice for characters like the elf warrior Weehawk in “Wizards” (1977) and the leader of a 1950s greaser gang in “Hey Good Lookin’” (1982). Despite the era of peak TV being behind us, many fans remember his character Richard LaPenna in “The Sopranos” as the husband of Lorraine Bracco’s Jennifer Melfi in the early 2000s. His menacing presence also graced episodes of “Mission: Impossible,” “The Mod Squad,” and a quick appearance on “Night Chase” before his breakout role in “Mean Streets.” As a seasoned character actor, Romanus left his mark on popular TV shows such as “Starsky and Hutch,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “The Rockford Files,” and “Kojak” throughout the 70s.

Director Martin Scorsese reflected on the intense interactions between Robert De Niro and Richard Romanus in the pivotal 1973 film “Mean Streets.” Scorsese revealed details of the animosity between the two actors during a scene in Andy Dougan’s 2011 book “Untouchable: Robert De Niro,” with credit to THR for transcribing the story.

“Something had happened between Bobby and Richard because the animosity between them in that scene is real, and I played on it,” shared Scorsese. “They had gotten on each other’s nerves to the point where I think they really wanted to kill each other. I kept shooting take after take of Bobby yelling all these insults while the crew was getting very upset.”

In response to the tension, Romanus recounted, “By laughing I was saving face. He thought I should be fuming, but he had no control over my reactions. Sometimes the reaction you get from your acting partner is not the one you want. Then you simply have to react off that. But in this scene, I laughed organically. I thought Bobby was very funny when he was doing that stuff. And he looked ridiculous.”